Egypt's Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa cut his international tour short Thursday, returning home to face criticism over his visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday. The tour was scheduled to include the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
Cairo International Airport sources said Gomaa returned on a Jordanian plane from Amman, instead of traveling to Abu Dhabi as scheduled.
He refused to give any press statements as he entered the airport VIP lounge, and immediately headed to the Islamic institution he heads, Dar al-Ifta, to deal with condemnations of his trip from lawmakers, institutions and public figures.
The sources said that Gomaa is expected to continue his tour on Friday afternoon, traveling to the UAE to give several lectures on Islamic jurisprudence, after which he is due in Istanbul at a conference on the biography of Prophet Mohamed.
Gomaa's return to Cairo attempts to address the angry reactions over his visit to Jerusalem, where he prayed in Al-Boraq Mosque in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-most holy site. Muslim leaders have for decades opposed travel to areas under Israeli control.
Al-Ahram newspaper said on its website Thursday that guards accompanying Gomaa at the Cairo airport formed a shield around him to prevent the media from taking photos or speaking to him.
This article is an edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
