CAIRO: Last week's issue of Al Fajr newspaper ran an article by Mohamed El Baz attacking Abou Huraira, one of the most prolific citers of Prophet Mohamed's (PBUH) sayings, accusing him of being a liar. The article titled, "Abou Huraira; the teller of lies triggered heated debate among scholars. Abdel Moatie Bayoumy, member of the Islamic Research Center, told The Daily Star Egypt that this article opens a very old file. Bayoumy said that many books had presented strong, scientifically valid refutations to the claims Al Baz makes in his article. "Documents prove that what appeared in this article is wrong, Bayoumy said. "The article dealt with the issue very superficially, making claims that lack credibility and scientific validity, he continued. "It also tarnishes the image of the prophet Mohamed's companions who are all highly cherished among Sunni Muslims. Publishing the article at this particular time, says to Bayoumy, will exacerbate the conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Unlike the Sunnis, says Bayoumy, the Shia have often denounced Prophet Mohamed's companions. Bayoumy believes the issue should be looked into by the general prosecutor. "He should intervene to investigate why such an issue is being debated now when it has been fervently debated and proved wrong ages ago . Gamal El Banna, an Islamic intellectual, begs to differ. He told The Daily Star Egypt that lots of books have been written doubting Abou Huraira's credibility, and that they had valid arguments. He believes the issue should be addressed and that the article should not influence Sunni-Shia relations. El Baz, who wrote the article, told The Daily Star Egypt that there is no hidden agenda behind publishing piece at this particular time. He described Bayoumy's comments as "an unfair stance against our newspaper . "We are not with or against any side. This article is part of a campaign about a notion that we considered worth discussing, El Baz said. The article did not include any interviews and only presented the literature supporting one side of the argument. Asked about this bias, El Baz told The Daily Star Egypt that he does not find it necessary to interview religious scholars or to present the opposing point of view. "My role is to introduce my point of view and anyone is more than welcome to reply. Their replies will be published, El Baz said. He also accused most scholars of being "lazy issuing fatwas (religious edicts) that are outdated and cannot be implemented practically in this day and age. "When we publish anything they [the sheikhs] don't like, they ask the president to interfere and help them, El Baz said.
