By L. Azuri - Middle East Media Research Institute - Washington,DC,USA
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Recent statements in Cairo by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi sparked public debate over the status of the Shi'ites in Egypt.
Al-Qaradhawi said that the increasing infiltration of Shi'ite Islam into Egypt, which is predominantly Sunni, may lead to a civil war like the one in Iraq. This statement was denounced by Egyptian Shi'ites, as well as by the religious establishment in Egypt and by columnists in the Egyptian press. Conversely, there were some who supported Al-Qaradhawi's position, saying that the spread of Shi'ism constituted a threat to Egypt and to the region as a whole.
There are no official statistics on the number of Shi'ites in Egypt. The Ibn Khaldun Research Center in Cairo estimated in January 2005 that the Shi'ites make up about 1% of the country's Muslim population, which in turn constitutes approximately 90% of Egypt's overall population of 73 million. According to this estimate, Egypt has some 657,000 Shi'ite citizens.
Leaders of the Shi'ite community in Egypt explain that the exact number of Shi'ites in the country is hard to estimate because many of them practice takiyya - i.e. hide their sectarian identity in order to avoid persecution. Egyptian human rights organizations report that the country's Shi'ite citizens are denied basic human rights like freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and are persecuted by the security apparatuses.
Muhammad Al-Darini, a Sunni who converted to Shi'ism and now serves as chairman of the Higher Council for the Protection of Ahl Al-Bayt in Egypt, said that, according to the estimate of the Egyptian security apparatuses, there are about one million Shi'ites in Egypt, hiding behind 76 Sufi orders, while he himself believes that their number is closer to 1.5 million.
In an interview for the website www.alarabiya.net, Al-Darini said, "The large number of Shi'ites in Egypt today stems from the fact that many Egyptian Sunnis are converting to Shi'ism. This is due to the information, technology, and Internet revolution, to the many new books pouring into Egypt, and to the activities of the Higher Council for the Protection of Ahl Al-Bayt which has been operating for eight years and publishing the paper Sawt Ahl Al-Bayt..." Al-Darini added that the Shi'ite community does not expose itself "because it fears the persecution which has been the Shi'ites' lot in the past 25 years.
(...)
Most of the debate regarding the status of the Shi'ites in Egypt was sparked by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi's statement which warned against the infiltration of Shi'ite Islam into Sunni countries, and vice versa.
In an August 2006 speech to the Egyptian Journalists' Union, delivered in Cairo immediately after the end of the Lebanon war, Al-Qaradhawi said that there was need for rapprochement between Shi'ites and Sunnis. He stressed, however, that "this rapprochement must not be a pretext for Shi'ite infiltration of the Sunni countries. Such infiltration will ignite a blaze that will destroy everything in its path, and what has happened in Iraq between Shi'ite and Sunnis will repeat itself in all other countries".
"Rapprochement between the two sects -he said- requires that each of them refrain from conducting missionary activities in countries that adhere to the other".
According to the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Al-Qaradhawi "warned against Shi'ite infiltration of Egypt," and said that the Shi'ites "are trying to spread their beliefs in Egypt owing to its love for Ahl Al-Bayt, and because Egypt has many places holy to the Shi'a, such as the tomb of Hussein and Zaynab."
According to the daily, Al-Qaradhawi also stated that "the Shi'ites use Sufism as a bridge to Shi'ism, and have been exploiting it in recent years to infiltrate Egypt..."
"Al-Qaradhawi's statements drew criticism from Sunnis and Shi'ites alike. This prompted the International Council of Muslim Clerics, which Al-Qaradhawi heads, to issue a clarification saying that "the statements that have been attributed to Al-Qaradhawi... were part of an answer to a question that had been posed to him, and his answer was influenced by the context and phrasing of the question".
"Al-Qaradhawi's words were not meant as an accusation against the Sufis or against Sufism as such, contrary to what was understood by some conference participants and by some who read the subsequent reports... Al-Qaradhawi believes in the need for national unity".
"He believes that Twelver Shi'ism is one of the legitimate sects of Islam and that the Ja'fari school of thought is a respected Islamic school of thought... In speaking against Shi'ites who attempt to convert Sunnis, Al-Qaradhawi was referring to the irresponsible attempts of certain individuals who sow division and civil strife among the Muslims by spreading Shi'ism in countries that are mostly Sunni, or by trying to spread various Sunni denominations in countries whose population is mostly Shi'ite..."
(...)
A Third Option - Islam Without Shi'a and Sunna
Egyptian author and intellectual Salah Al-Wardani is the founder of an association called "New Discourse," which advocates a universal Islam and the elimination of the Sunni-Shi'ite distinction.
Al-Wardani was born to a Sunni family, but in 1985, when he was in his twenties, he converted to Shi'ism and subsequently wrote a great deal in praise of Shi'ism and against Sunni Islam.
Twenty-one years later, he declared that he no longer belonged to either sect. In an interview for Al-Masri Al-Yawm, he called on intellectuals to join his association.
In explaining his position, he said: "I have now emerged from both circles (Shi'ite and Sunni Islam) into a new circle, or a third tier... I call for a new Islamic discourse based on the Koran and on reason, which transcends the old mindset that is still dominant among the Muslims today... "
"I call to rely on modern reason... Islam is not meant to have sects..."
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
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Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Shi'ites in Egypt
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Recent statements in Cairo by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi sparked public debate over the status of the Shi'ites in Egypt.
Al-Qaradhawi said that the increasing infiltration of Shi'ite Islam into Egypt, which is predominantly Sunni, may lead to a civil war like the one in Iraq. This statement was denounced by Egyptian Shi'ites, as well as by the religious establishment in Egypt and by columnists in the Egyptian press. Conversely, there were some who supported Al-Qaradhawi's position, saying that the spread of Shi'ism constituted a threat to Egypt and to the region as a whole.
There are no official statistics on the number of Shi'ites in Egypt. The Ibn Khaldun Research Center in Cairo estimated in January 2005 that the Shi'ites make up about 1% of the country's Muslim population, which in turn constitutes approximately 90% of Egypt's overall population of 73 million. According to this estimate, Egypt has some 657,000 Shi'ite citizens.
Leaders of the Shi'ite community in Egypt explain that the exact number of Shi'ites in the country is hard to estimate because many of them practice takiyya - i.e. hide their sectarian identity in order to avoid persecution. Egyptian human rights organizations report that the country's Shi'ite citizens are denied basic human rights like freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and are persecuted by the security apparatuses.
Muhammad Al-Darini, a Sunni who converted to Shi'ism and now serves as chairman of the Higher Council for the Protection of Ahl Al-Bayt in Egypt, said that, according to the estimate of the Egyptian security apparatuses, there are about one million Shi'ites in Egypt, hiding behind 76 Sufi orders, while he himself believes that their number is closer to 1.5 million.
In an interview for the website www.alarabiya.net, Al-Darini said, "The large number of Shi'ites in Egypt today stems from the fact that many Egyptian Sunnis are converting to Shi'ism. This is due to the information, technology, and Internet revolution, to the many new books pouring into Egypt, and to the activities of the Higher Council for the Protection of Ahl Al-Bayt which has been operating for eight years and publishing the paper Sawt Ahl Al-Bayt..." Al-Darini added that the Shi'ite community does not expose itself "because it fears the persecution which has been the Shi'ites' lot in the past 25 years.
(...)
Most of the debate regarding the status of the Shi'ites in Egypt was sparked by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi's statement which warned against the infiltration of Shi'ite Islam into Sunni countries, and vice versa.
In an August 2006 speech to the Egyptian Journalists' Union, delivered in Cairo immediately after the end of the Lebanon war, Al-Qaradhawi said that there was need for rapprochement between Shi'ites and Sunnis. He stressed, however, that "this rapprochement must not be a pretext for Shi'ite infiltration of the Sunni countries. Such infiltration will ignite a blaze that will destroy everything in its path, and what has happened in Iraq between Shi'ite and Sunnis will repeat itself in all other countries".
"Rapprochement between the two sects -he said- requires that each of them refrain from conducting missionary activities in countries that adhere to the other".
According to the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Al-Qaradhawi "warned against Shi'ite infiltration of Egypt," and said that the Shi'ites "are trying to spread their beliefs in Egypt owing to its love for Ahl Al-Bayt, and because Egypt has many places holy to the Shi'a, such as the tomb of Hussein and Zaynab."
According to the daily, Al-Qaradhawi also stated that "the Shi'ites use Sufism as a bridge to Shi'ism, and have been exploiting it in recent years to infiltrate Egypt..."
"Al-Qaradhawi's statements drew criticism from Sunnis and Shi'ites alike. This prompted the International Council of Muslim Clerics, which Al-Qaradhawi heads, to issue a clarification saying that "the statements that have been attributed to Al-Qaradhawi... were part of an answer to a question that had been posed to him, and his answer was influenced by the context and phrasing of the question".
"Al-Qaradhawi's words were not meant as an accusation against the Sufis or against Sufism as such, contrary to what was understood by some conference participants and by some who read the subsequent reports... Al-Qaradhawi believes in the need for national unity".
"He believes that Twelver Shi'ism is one of the legitimate sects of Islam and that the Ja'fari school of thought is a respected Islamic school of thought... In speaking against Shi'ites who attempt to convert Sunnis, Al-Qaradhawi was referring to the irresponsible attempts of certain individuals who sow division and civil strife among the Muslims by spreading Shi'ism in countries that are mostly Sunni, or by trying to spread various Sunni denominations in countries whose population is mostly Shi'ite..."
(...)
A Third Option - Islam Without Shi'a and Sunna
Egyptian author and intellectual Salah Al-Wardani is the founder of an association called "New Discourse," which advocates a universal Islam and the elimination of the Sunni-Shi'ite distinction.
Al-Wardani was born to a Sunni family, but in 1985, when he was in his twenties, he converted to Shi'ism and subsequently wrote a great deal in praise of Shi'ism and against Sunni Islam.
Twenty-one years later, he declared that he no longer belonged to either sect. In an interview for Al-Masri Al-Yawm, he called on intellectuals to join his association.
In explaining his position, he said: "I have now emerged from both circles (Shi'ite and Sunni Islam) into a new circle, or a third tier... I call for a new Islamic discourse based on the Koran and on reason, which transcends the old mindset that is still dominant among the Muslims today... "
"I call to rely on modern reason... Islam is not meant to have sects..."
Labels:
politics
By L. Azuri - Middle East Media Research Institute - Washington,DC,USAWednesday, December 27, 2006
Recent statements in Cairo by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi sparked public debate over the status of the Shi'ites in Egypt.
Al-Qaradhawi said that the increasing infiltration of Shi'ite Islam into Egypt, which is predominantly Sunni, may lead to a civil war like the one in Iraq. This statement was denounced by Egyptian Shi'ites, as well as by the religious establishment in Egypt and by columnists in the Egyptian press. Conversely, there were some who supported Al-Qaradhawi's position, saying that the spread of Shi'ism constituted a threat to Egypt and to the region as a whole.
There are no official statistics on the number of Shi'ites in Egypt. The Ibn Khaldun Research Center in Cairo estimated in January 2005 that the Shi'ites make up about 1% of the country's Muslim population, which in turn constitutes approximately 90% of Egypt's overall population of 73 million. According to this estimate, Egypt has some 657,000 Shi'ite citizens.
Leaders of the Shi'ite community in Egypt explain that the exact number of Shi'ites in the country is hard to estimate because many of them practice takiyya - i.e. hide their sectarian identity in order to avoid persecution. Egyptian human rights organizations report that the country's Shi'ite citizens are denied basic human rights like freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and are persecuted by the security apparatuses.
Muhammad Al-Darini, a Sunni who converted to Shi'ism and now serves as chairman of the Higher Council for the Protection of Ahl Al-Bayt in Egypt, said that, according to the estimate of the Egyptian security apparatuses, there are about one million Shi'ites in Egypt, hiding behind 76 Sufi orders, while he himself believes that their number is closer to 1.5 million.
In an interview for the website www.alarabiya.net, Al-Darini said, "The large number of Shi'ites in Egypt today stems from the fact that many Egyptian Sunnis are converting to Shi'ism. This is due to the information, technology, and Internet revolution, to the many new books pouring into Egypt, and to the activities of the Higher Council for the Protection of Ahl Al-Bayt which has been operating for eight years and publishing the paper Sawt Ahl Al-Bayt..." Al-Darini added that the Shi'ite community does not expose itself "because it fears the persecution which has been the Shi'ites' lot in the past 25 years.
(...)
Most of the debate regarding the status of the Shi'ites in Egypt was sparked by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi's statement which warned against the infiltration of Shi'ite Islam into Sunni countries, and vice versa.
In an August 2006 speech to the Egyptian Journalists' Union, delivered in Cairo immediately after the end of the Lebanon war, Al-Qaradhawi said that there was need for rapprochement between Shi'ites and Sunnis. He stressed, however, that "this rapprochement must not be a pretext for Shi'ite infiltration of the Sunni countries. Such infiltration will ignite a blaze that will destroy everything in its path, and what has happened in Iraq between Shi'ite and Sunnis will repeat itself in all other countries".
"Rapprochement between the two sects -he said- requires that each of them refrain from conducting missionary activities in countries that adhere to the other".
According to the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Al-Qaradhawi "warned against Shi'ite infiltration of Egypt," and said that the Shi'ites "are trying to spread their beliefs in Egypt owing to its love for Ahl Al-Bayt, and because Egypt has many places holy to the Shi'a, such as the tomb of Hussein and Zaynab."
According to the daily, Al-Qaradhawi also stated that "the Shi'ites use Sufism as a bridge to Shi'ism, and have been exploiting it in recent years to infiltrate Egypt..."
"Al-Qaradhawi's statements drew criticism from Sunnis and Shi'ites alike. This prompted the International Council of Muslim Clerics, which Al-Qaradhawi heads, to issue a clarification saying that "the statements that have been attributed to Al-Qaradhawi... were part of an answer to a question that had been posed to him, and his answer was influenced by the context and phrasing of the question".
"Al-Qaradhawi's words were not meant as an accusation against the Sufis or against Sufism as such, contrary to what was understood by some conference participants and by some who read the subsequent reports... Al-Qaradhawi believes in the need for national unity".
"He believes that Twelver Shi'ism is one of the legitimate sects of Islam and that the Ja'fari school of thought is a respected Islamic school of thought... In speaking against Shi'ites who attempt to convert Sunnis, Al-Qaradhawi was referring to the irresponsible attempts of certain individuals who sow division and civil strife among the Muslims by spreading Shi'ism in countries that are mostly Sunni, or by trying to spread various Sunni denominations in countries whose population is mostly Shi'ite..."
(...)
A Third Option - Islam Without Shi'a and Sunna
Egyptian author and intellectual Salah Al-Wardani is the founder of an association called "New Discourse," which advocates a universal Islam and the elimination of the Sunni-Shi'ite distinction.
Al-Wardani was born to a Sunni family, but in 1985, when he was in his twenties, he converted to Shi'ism and subsequently wrote a great deal in praise of Shi'ism and against Sunni Islam.
Twenty-one years later, he declared that he no longer belonged to either sect. In an interview for Al-Masri Al-Yawm, he called on intellectuals to join his association.
In explaining his position, he said: "I have now emerged from both circles (Shi'ite and Sunni Islam) into a new circle, or a third tier... I call for a new Islamic discourse based on the Koran and on reason, which transcends the old mindset that is still dominant among the Muslims today... "
"I call to rely on modern reason... Islam is not meant to have sects..."
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