Refaat El-Saeed writes: Ali confronts wrong ideas in Islamic thought

Professor Abdul Rahim Ali continues his giving in confronting the wrong ideas and suspicions that some people seek to plant into the field of Islamic thought.

His last book represents an important addition that deserves to be followed up, and it is worth reading.

* Author: Abdul Rahim Ali

* Book: The Muslim Brotherhood, Fatwas on Copts, Democracy, Women and Art

* Publisher: Al-Mahrousa

Let us start with the cover. On the book’s cover we would read “From time to time, especially during election seasons, the political and partisan scene witnesses how many parties and authorities rush to seek the blessing of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Some of these powers and parties raise slogans that are incompatible in their essence with the visions and fatwas of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the question that arises is whether these powers are ignorant of these ideas?”

Then the book’s foreword reads, “Political activity, by its nature, requires a degree of flexibility, alignment, and the search for balance. This leads some – necessarily – to declare and raise slogans, principles, values and ideas that contradict the established truth that cannot be spoken out.

“Moreover, evaluating a political movement cannot be objective nor fair if isolated from the realization of the nature of the thought that it believes in and its goals, and this study is based on this context.”

The foreword also reads that the Muslim Brotherhood and their symbols may declare what would only beautify their image; they pledge complete citizenship to the Copts, declare their respect to freedom of thought and opinion, call for women’s rights, and even preach their acceptance of art, and such sparkling "political" promises do not bear an honest translation for the Brotherhood's true ideology and thought.

We must notice two things; the first of which is that these fatwas were issued in the mid-70s, when they had good relations with the late President Anwar Sadat, and even the stage of their anger against them before his assassination... that is, they are relatively considered modern fatwas.

The second thing is that the group always adopts the policy of mixing religion with politics to achieve their political interests… and we can clearly see contradiction between their fatwas and what they pledge.

Thus, while the Muslim Brotherhood declares full rights of citizenship and respecting the rights of the Copts, we find them issuing fatwas against them that threaten national unity and waste its most basic rules.

In Issue No. 56 of Al-Dawa, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Arabic language monthly political magazine, issued in December 1980, there was a fatwa issued by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah Al-Khatib, a member of the group’s Guidance Bureau and its Mufti in Sharia issues, responding to a question from an individual from the Menoufia governorate regarding the rule of building churches in Muslim countries.

The fatwa came covering three scenarios;

The first: Lands founded and established by Muslims, like Maadi, the 10th of Ramadan and Helwan, are not permissible for churches to be built over them nor pledges of allegiance shall be taken.

The second: Lands conquered by Muslims like Alexandria and Constantinople. These things cannot be built over these lands either. *Notice how he used the word “things” to describe churches. And some scholars said they should be demolished because they are owned by Muslims.

The third: In cases of reconciliations between Muslims and residents of a certain land, churches that are already build, shall not be demolished, however, they cannot be restored, and no new churches can be built either.

We have several observations regarding this “non-legitimate” fatwa; the first, is that this fatwa definitely seeks to sow discord and sedition in the country; the second, is that it contradicts what major Muslim scholars adopted and agreed upon, which is to allow what is best for people’s interests without violating his commands, therefore, this fatwa directly goes against what God has ordered; the third, is that it contradicts what Muslims have been doing everywhere across all ages; and finally, it contradicts with every political pledge that the Muslim Brotherhood declare.

So, How? And, Why?

This question deserves a clear answer from the Brotherhood.

We hope this answer would heal the wounds of the homeland, preserving our national unity, protecting it.

Is there an answer?

It remains that the book "The Document" deserves more follow-up… So, let us try.