Egypt's current account gap narrows, but overall BoP records deficit    Egypt's PM reviews debt reduction strategy, eyes more private investment    Egypt hosts international neurosurgery conference to drive medical innovation    Egypt, India discuss expanding industrial, investment partnerships    World Bank proposes Egypt join new global health initiative    Egypt's EDA discusses Johnson & Johnson's plans to expand investment in local pharmaceutical sector    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi sends letter to Nigerian president affirming strategic ties    Egypt welcomes 25-nation statement urging end to Gaza war    Egypt, Senegal sign pharma MoU to unify regulatory standards    Egyptian pound ticks down in early Tuesday trading    Famine kills more Gaza children as Israel tightens siege amid global outrage    Kuwait's Crown Prince, Egyptian minister discuss strengthening cooperation    Egyptian Drug Authority discusses plans for joint pharmaceutical plant in Zambia    Egypt's FM seeks deeper economic, security ties on five-nation West Africa tour    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt foils terrorist plot, kills two militants linked to Hasm group    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt exports 175K tons of food in one week    Giza Pyramids' interior lighting updated with new LED system    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, Uruguay eager to expand trade across key sectors    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Anti-Terrorism Yemeni Sheikh in Fear for his Life
Published in Daily News Egypt on 31 - 07 - 2007

Head of Muslim preaching and mosques in the city of Aden Sheikh Anis Al-Hobaishi reported on Saturday that his life could be in danger after he made statements recently on the authenticity of one of Prophet Muhammad's sayings (Hadith) regarding jihad.
Sheikh Al-Hobaishi's concern grew after a number of imams signed a petition addressed to the Yemeni Minister of the Muslim Endowment Funds asking for the removal of Sheikh Al-Hobaishi from his post because he made statements that violated the sanctity of the Hadith and he wrongly accused other Yemeni Sheikhs of being involved in fuelling terrorism. Sheikh Al-Hobaishi concluded that such a petition meant an accusation to him of renouncing Islam and the Sunna; thus allowing for his killing.
The Hadith in question is "I was ordered to fight until people admit that there is no God but God. If they admit it, they will be spared their life and money . The Hadith was assessed as unauthentic by Sheikh Al-Hobaishi since it contradicted with a number of Quranic verses stating that religious belief should not be forced onto people. He also criticized the wide use of this Hadith in elementary and secondary schools' curricula and deemed it as the cause of future terrorism.
Sheikh Al-Hobaishi stated this opinion in an article in the official Yemeni newspaper "The 14th of October on July 8th in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Temple of Queen Belqais in the city of Ma'rib in which seven Spanish tourists and two Yemeni drivers were killed.
In his article entitled "Terrorism: Howling and no Grinding, Sheikh Al-Hobaishi wondered why the message of the Muslim scholars denouncing terrorism never reached the terrorists. He saw that the missing link existed in the curriculum Muslim students were exposed to. Sheikh Al-Hobaishi also dissected the hypocrisy of the Muslim scholars who do nothing to stop this silent and poisonous indoctrination of the young minds but who overtly condemn terrorism.
The same hypocrisy also exists in their condemnation of the Shia rebels, under rebel leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, who claim the right to re-instate the Shia Imamate while they use militant Shia texts to fuel jihad against their opponents and the West. Such howling, he said, is well heard but no actual action is taken to put an end to terrorism.
Sheikh Al-Hobaishi published earlier this year another controversial article titled "The Muslim Woman: Falsified Rights and a Wasted Dignity , in which he severely criticized the "regressive forces within Islam that worked hard to see the undoing of the Personal Status Law number 20 adopted in 1992. The law ensured women more rights, and its termination inaugurated an era of Dark Ages for women.
The row created after the publication of both articles grew gradually until the signing of the petition. Sheikh Al-Hobaishi reported that there was a direct link between the rising fury and the Islamist Yemeni Alliance for Reform and other fundamentalist elements under the leadership of the Wahhabi Sheikh Abou Al-Hassan Al-Solimani Al-Masri. Sheikh Al-Hobaishi filed an official complaint to the district attorney in Aden based on the discrete threat implied in the petition.
Sheikh Ali Muhammad Ali, one of the petitioners, declared that what Sheikh Al-Hobaishi said was totally unacceptable, adding that "if the Sheikh wants to talk about terrorism, he can talk about terrorism on its own and those who commit terrorism, but he has to refrain from shedding doubt on the authenticity of the Prophet's Hadith . The petitioners, however, required that Sheikh Anis Al-Hobaishi be referred to a special committee to repent, which implies that he was considered an apostate.
Sheikh Al-Hobaishi is not the first Muslim scholar to be accused by takfiri ideologues of renouncing the tenets of Islam. The long line includes names that were recently attacked, such as the Sudanese scholar Hassan Al-Turabi and the Egyptian scholar Gamal Al-Banna. The takfiri race against moderate voices who are trying to bridge the gap between rigid interpretations of religious texts and tolerant Islamic practices is fighting hard to win followers by condemnation and public uproars. This hard-fought battle though is another domain where moderates can reverse for their benefit by exposing the dangerous outcomes of using takfiri weapons against the voice of reason.
Omneya El Naggar, MA, is an Egyptian political commentator and researcher in comparative politics in the Middle East. She has also done research on political Islam, terrorism, and East-West dialogue. This commentary is special to DAILY NEWS EGYPT.


Clic here to read the story from its source.