CAIRO: In a move that has already caused uproar among religious scholars, the Al Azhar Institution has declared the Dar Al Ifta (fatwa body) the only legally recognized organization authorized with issuing religious edicts. Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour, former deputy for Al-Azhar and member of the Islamic Research Center told The Daily Star Egypt: "we had an enormous amount of strange fatwas that should have never been said and this law is to restrict those types of fatwas Ashour cited some examples of rampant fatwas which he explained are outside Islamic legal jurisdiction and not sanctioned by Islamic law. A Muslim woman can pray naked in her home . a Muslim woman who changes her clothes in front of a male dog and men ironing lingerie are committing sinful acts - these have nothing to do with Islam, Ashour added. But the decree has already been met with criticism and resentment from religious scholars not affiliated with Al Azhar or Dar Al Ifta. One such scholar, Gamal El Bana, told The Daily Star Egypt of his discontent and disapproval with what he called, the monopoly of Al -Azhar in providing Islamic fatwas. El Bana has criticized Al-Azhar for issuing edicts on Quranic issues by consensus, a mechanism he said has no origin in the Quran and accused Al Azhar of "eliminating the independent thinking of all Islamic scholars. Al- Azhar should not be the only authorized place for edicts, everyone should have the same right to do so . we have the original holy book that in itself is flexible and general, El-Bana said. However, Ashour said that the latest decree on the matter of fatwas applies only to Egyptian national television and the governmental institutions while the satellites and any non-governmental organization are free to do as they please. Ashour also denied Al Azhar weighs in the government's general policies before issuing edicts. Al Azhar is a free institution and whoever says we are following the government is fanatical.
