Qatar-based Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawy resigned from his seat at al-Azhar’s Senior Scholars Committee to protest the al-Azhar Grand Sheikh’s stance on political developments in Egypt.
The move by Qaradawy, an influential preacher and ardent supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist politicians, comes hours after a committee of 50 members concluded amendments to the 2012 Constitution that had been ratified under deposed president Mohamed Morsy.
“I, Youssef Abdallah al-Qaradawy, submit my resignation from the Senior Scholars Committee to the great Egyptian people, not to the Sheikh of al-Azhar," the sheikh said in his statement.
Unlike Qaradawy, Al-Azhar’s Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb sided with the popular uprising that toppled Morsy in July. He delegated representatives to the committee that amended Morsy’s constitution.
“When the day comes when people restore their freedom…scholars should select their leader and their seniors according to their free will,” said Qaradawy.
“We were appalled by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar’s participation in the coup," he added, attacking Tayyeb for not consulting committee scholars to give its opinion on political developments.
Qaradawy urged the “free sons and scholars of al-Azhar” to announce their rejection of political developments in Egypt and to “quit that institution that has become a dead corpse.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
