The Muslim Brotherhood said they do not wish to rush into the passing of a draft law regarding the election of Al-Azhar’s grand sheikh only five days prior to the first session of the new People's Assembly, said Abdel Rahman al-Barr, a member of the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, in a statement posted on the group's official website on Thursday.
The Egyptian cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law on the election of the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest religious authority in the Sunni Muslim world. The draft stipulates that the grand sheikh will not be appointed by the president but elected by the Senior Scholars Authority, which will be reinstated to include scholars from Egypt and the Islamic community.
He said the draft law was drafted by people who “missed the fact that the amended law will affect Al-Azhar and everyone in it.” He went on to say this necessitates that all its articles be examined by experts and by Al-Azhar scholars so it can come out in the best possible form.
“As we waited this long to amend the law, we must make sure it is carefully examined,” he said.
He pointed out that he “sees no reason to rush into presenting the Al-Azhar draft law to the Supreme Counsel of the Armed Forces (SCAF), now that it is near the end of its mission.”
“We expected the proposed articles to be discussed with all Al-Azhar members before the draft is sent to the SCAF,” said Barr. “This interferes with the law’s legitimacy.”
Barr added that the age on which Senior Scholars Authority members are accepted should be 40 rather than 60, and that the number of Senior Scholars Authority members should be increased to 40.
Grand sheikhs were elected by the Senior Scholars Authority until 1961. The position was first created in 1690 (1101 Hijri). So far, 43 sheikhs have held the post.
After the 1952 revolution, it was decided that Al-Azhar’s role in Egyptian society should be diminished, and in 1961, new legislation was created to limit the grand sheikh’s powers. Subsequently, the Senior Scholars Authority was abolished.
Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb told reporters in March that he had decided to re-establish the Senior Scholars Authority.
Some believe the ousted regime of President Hosni Mubarak used Al-Azhar as a tool to guide public opinion and serve its own interests.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
