Sobhi Saleh, a leading Freedom and Justice Party figure, harshly criticized the Salafi Nour Party over its stance against a law that would allow the state to issue sukuk, or Islamic bonds.
He called on the Nour Party to stop “analyzing and prohibiting matters for certain political gains,” after the party threatened to challenge the sukuk law before the Supreme Constitutional Court.
Last month, the FJP-led Parliament approved the draft law on sukuk, referring it to President Mohamed Morsy, who in turn referred it to the Al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars, a panel of top Islamic scholars, for their opinion. The council approved the draft law.
“The senior Al-Azhar scholars did not prohibit the law,” Saleh told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “And after all, their opinion is not binding for the president, who has the final say.”
Saleh called on the Nour Party to refute the law in ways other than labeling forbidden or permissible in Islam.
FJP Vice President Essam al-Erian said the Shura Council conducts community dialogues for all the bills it considers.
“There is still ample time for anyone wishing to add to the amendments that are suggested by the council members that represent 20 different parties,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
