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Claims of Infidelity are Against freedom of Belief
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6/11/2006
EOHR followed with anxiety the aggressive campaign against Dr Souad Saleh, professor of Islamic jurisprudence at the Azhar University, after stating her opinion on (Al Niquab) or the Islamic full body veil, saying it is not compulsory in Islam. Her statement provoked many fundamentalists, reaching the level of announcing some calls to shed her blood.
Dr Saleh, who was a former dean at Azhar University, had stated her opinion last week in a TV program called ( Amma Yatasa'loon) or (What they ask about?), aired on Dream TV space channel. Dr Saleh stated that the Niquab is not compulsory for Muslim women, and she supported her point by sayings of the Prophet and Islamic customs. Her statement provoked some fundamentalists who called to shed her blood.
EOHR restated several times its denouncement to discuss and refute one's beliefs and faith which is considered a violation to freedom of belief stipulated in Article 46 of the Egyptian Constitution and Article 18 of the ICCPR which is ratified by Egypt. EOHR strongly condemns any attempts to impose certain ideas upon the society, whether individuals and institutes. EOHR warns against the spread of using claims of infidelity and ideological fanaticism, which may lead to unpleasant consequences that threaten the freedom of belief and thinking, the right to be different and ideological and scientific liberal thinking. This also may open the gates to implement suppressive schemes in resolving conflicts between opinion-oriented people and people with diverse Ijtehad or free religious thinking.
EOHR is deeply worried about the increase of claims of infidelity of opposition, whether ideological or political, for fanatic reasons, where thinkers are condemned to be infidels and face calls to shed their blood. Accordingly, EOHR denounces the statements of the Parliament member Ali Laban to execute the Prime Minister, the Minister of Endowment and the Minister of Investments on the charges of "attacking Islam openly" which came as a reaction to issuing the administrative decision to demolish a mosque and privatizing a public company. These actions are not considered to be against Islamic customs and worth of a death penalty.
These extremist opinions constitute a kind of death threats to political leaders, which reminds us of the 1990's when violent acts were committed against politicians such as the assassination of the chairman of the parliament Dr Refaat EL Mahgoob, the attempts on the former prime minister Dr Atef Sedquee and Safwat Al Sherif the current chairman of the Shura Council. Claims of infidelity in the 1990's also resulted to the assassination of the writer Dr Farag Foda and the attempt on Makram Muhamed Ahmed the Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz.
In this context, EOHR calls upon all civil society institutes to unite their efforts to denounce and condemn the attempts to impose any religious guardianship, and stresses on everyone's right to express opinions and ideas freely and to respect freedom of belief of every citizen in the society. EOHR believes that calls for blood shed are considered death threats which is criminalized by Egyptian law, and the General Prosecution Office should take the required legal measures concerning these crimes.
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