Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    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    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    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.



Scholars angry with Muftis fatwa on dead migrants
Published in Daily News Egypt on 08 - 11 - 2007

CAIRO: The Grand Mufti Thursday sparked a fierce debate by saying that 26 illegal immigrants who drowned off the Italian coast are not martyrs, as their bodies began arriving back home.
The announcement by the state-appointed Sheikh Ali Gomaa came as weeping relatives waited at Cairo airport to receive the bodies of five migrants among the 184 Egyptians whose boats sank off Italy on Sunday.
Gomaa said that those who died were not martyrs assured a direct route to Paradise "because they put themselves in danger and the aim of their journey was not given over to service to God.
"If we look at the motives that pushed them to travel, we see that they are after money because each of them paid LE 25,000 to leave which means they are not poor, Gomaa was quoted as saying by local media.
"They could have stayed at home and invested this money in a commercial project instead of leaving, he told the Al-Masry Al-Youm daily.
With only 37 rescued alive - currently being held in Italy awaiting deportation back to Egypt - and 26 bodies recovered, the remaining 121 migrants may or may not have made it to shore.
Family members said that their loved ones had set off for Europe in search of work, having paid human traffickers LE 30,000.
Egyptian religious authorities, including Gomaa, have said in the past that those who die in accidents are martyrs and therefore go straight to Paradise, in accordance with Muslim belief.
But the newspaper said on Thursday that Gomaa's declaration had "caused a shock at Al-Azhar, the Cairo-based highest religious authority of Sunni Islam.
The head of the Fatwa Committee that issues religious edicts, Sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atrash, said that the dead immigrants "were martyrs because God told us to travel the world in search of a living and anyone who dies doing this is a martyr.
Other scholars called on Gomaa to oppose the corruption that forced these young people to sell everything they own to cover the costs of the journey.
Gamal Mubarak said the boats' sinking was "painful and regrettable, while nevertheless refusing to link their ordeal to Egypt's economic woes. He pointed out that 400,000 new jobs have been created in the last two years.
The foreign ministry said Thursday that another boat was picked up by the Greek coastguard with around 100 Egyptians on board after sending a distress signal off the coast of the Mediterranean island of Crete.
The foreign ministry said that 85 of those on board had been rescued after the boat sank and that a search was underway for the rest. In response, Egyptian authorities on Tuesday said they had arrested three sailors and a smuggler believed to have been involved in trafficking the 184 Egyptians. Agence France-Presse


Clic here to read the story from its source.