CAIRO: While civil society organizations are planning to launch a campaign against the press law which allows journalists to be sentenced to prison, Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawy said that the severe punishment of 80 lashes is to be leveled against those who spread false information to the public. Aly Laban, a Muslim Brotherhood MP, criticized Tantawy's fatwa, considering it inappropriate for one sheikh to authorize a fatwa, which should be done under the umbrella of the Islamic Research Center. He also requested that Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif investigate the issue. Another Brotherhood MP, Saad El-Katatny, accused Nazif of deliberately postponing the meetings of the Islamic Research Center to weaken its powers. But I do not expect any results from this interrogation, just as I expect no reaction from Nazif, El-Katatny said. Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour, former deputy of Al-Azhar and member of the Islamic Research Center declined to comment on either Tantawy s fatwa or El-Katatny s accusation to the prime minister. Tantawy, who was interviewed by Mohamed Al-Kadi on El Mehwar satellite TV channel last week, refused to retract his fatwa, and indicated that he is fully prepared to be interrogated by the PA. "I ask all those who want me dismissed, who are you to say that? You are not the ones who hired me, Tantawy told El Mehwar in response to journalists' demands that he step down. Tantawy issued the fatwa last Monday during an annual ceremony attended by President Hosni Mubarak celebrating Laylat Al-Qadr, the night Muslims commemorate the revelation of the first verses of the Quran to Prophet Mohammed through the angel Gabriel. El Katatny believes that Tantawy has crossed the line with this fatwa, which he finds harsh and ill-timed. The problem is in the timing and occasion of the fatwa and the fact that it was said by only one individual and was not accredited by the Islamic Research Center, he said, adding that Tantawy is known for using religious occasions attended by the president and political events to issue fatwas. During the last Shoura council elections, Tantawy issued a fatwa condemning people who do not vote accusing them for intentionally withholding the truth [in Islam it is considered a sin for a Muslim to deliberately withhold information about someone or something if he or she were asked], El-Katatny said. And this time, Tantawy is doing the same thing, mixing politics with religion. Religion should not be politicized, that is what we are against, he said. However, Tantawy denied that this fatwa was politically-motivated, refuting any connection between the fatwa and the five chief editors and two journalists who received jail sentences for allegedly spreading false information about the National Democratic Party and its members or President Mubarak's health. "Why does religion interfere with the problems regarding journalists and the press? asked Ambassador Mahmoud Shoukry, political analyst. According to Shoukry, there are only two sides to the argument concerning the press and journalists in Egypt. On the one hand, journalists believe that allowing jail sentences stands against freedom of the press and only leaves room for the government s view, rather than any opposing views. On the other hand, Shoukry continued, releasing a rumor about the president's health creates distortion that, from the government's point of view, can lead to serious internal and external problems. But Shoukry believes that whole problem could have been circumvented had the President made an immediate appearance. Like many pundits, he blames the government's late response for exacerbating the situation. "We spent a whole week after the release of the rumor with no comment from the government or the president, however the moment President Mubarak appeared or made a statement, the rumor disappeared. Shoukry does not believe that sending journalists to prison can be a solution to any problem "especially when this is done by lawyers affiliated with the National Democratic Party. Even though Shoukry is against sentencing journalists to jail for press offenses, noting that all over the world press crimes receive monetary penalties, he still believes that religion is irrelevant. The problem is between the press and the government, Shoukry said. Al-Azhar was unavailable for comment at time of press. Meanwhile the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) is preparing to draft an amendment to the press law, canceling prison sentences for journalists - a law it believes gags freedom of expression. The draft law will include amendments to Articles 188 and 203 of the penal code, which are vaguely worded. A group of civil society activists, professors of mass communication, and journalists are involved in helping draft and advocate the implementation of these new regulations. Shoukry added that a while ago there moves indicating the government's intention to cancel the jail sentences on journalists, but was shocked to see the sudden change of heart. "Why did the government decided to take this path after giving allowing so much freedom to the press? asked Shoukry.
