CAIRO: Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb has said that Article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution should not be changed or sectarian tension would result. His statements came on Wednesday as a panel of eight constitutional experts met. The group was formed according to a decree by the Supreme Military Council to amend six articles of the constitution, or more if seen necessary by the committee. Article 2 states, “Islam is the Religion of the State. Arabic is its official language, and the principal source of legislation is Islamic Jurisprudence (Sharia) law.” El-Tayeb said the article is one of the pillars of Egypt and changing it would come in the way of achieving freedom and democracy. El-Tayeb added that he supports the idea that future grand imams would win their seat through votes and not by being appointed by the state, as long as elections are transparent and free of corruption. Regarding Al-Azhar's dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Tayeb said that Al-Azhar is an educational institution, whereas the Brotherhood is a political entity, adding that they share the same faith but have different paths. He insisted, however, that there is a mutual respect between the two. El-Tayeb added that many institutions under the Mubarak regime suffered from corruption and that those who decided to go to the street and protest against this corruption are heroes. Seculars, leftists, Coptic activists and human rights organizations called for the elimination of Article 2, saying that it is seen as discriminative, and contradicts the conception of citizenship and diversity. BM
