Takfiri Ideology Comes from Outside Egypt
The Egyptian society is a moderate one and while the majority of the country’s population is Sunni, they have always been devoted to the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) and their followers.
This is according to Emil Amin, Egyptian Christian scholar and director of the Haghighat (truth) Center for Political and Strategic Studies, who, in an interview with IQNA, condemned the recent killing of 5 Shia Muslims by Takfiri mobs in Egypt.
Prominent Egyptian Shia cleric, Sheikh Hassan Shehata, and four of his devotees were killed in a brutal attack carried out by Takfiri extremists in Giza Province near Cairo on June 24.
The attack was carried out when a crowd of several hundred assailants attacked Sheikh Shehata’s home and then set it on fire at the village of Abu Mussalam.
Amin pointed to the history of Egypt and said the country’s roots can be traced in the Shia Fatimid dynasty and the Sunni Al-Azhar center.
“In such a country, no group or sect has the right to Takfir (consider fellow Muslims as infidels) others and consider killing them permissible.”
Amin, who is a Coptic Christian and opposes any form of religious extremism, added, “the crime that took place against our Shia brothers in the past few days is absolutely unacceptable and deplorable and we condemn it.”
Asked about the silence of Egyptian government institution over the killings, he said a number of Islamic bodies as well as the Christian Coptic Church have denounced the crime.
He pointed to the issue of Takfir and said it is unacceptable for some Muslims to consider others as infidels and issue permission for killing them.
Amin noted that now that Egypt is in a sensitive juncture, the Takfiri ideology has entered the country from outside the borders.
He stressed the need for international Islamic bodies to speak out against radical tendencies and prevent extremist ideologies from spreading in society.
“They all have a responsibility to condemn the killing of Shia Muslims in Egypt and in other countries.”
Amin added that Islamic institution should work for fostering values such as understanding, dialogue, forgiveness and moderation, values that emphasized by all Divine religions.
He also said that governments are responsible for protecting religious minorities, criticizing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi for remaining silent over the anti-Shia statements in a recent Salafi gathering in the country.
“Such statements about Shia Muslims are unfounded and Morsi, who, as president, is responsible for protecting all Egyptian citizens should not have remained silent.”
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Prominent Egyptian Shia cleric, Sheikh Hassan Shehata, and four of his devotees were killed in a brutal attack carried out by Takfiri extremists in Giza Province near Cairo on June 24.
The attack was carried out when a crowd of several hundred assailants attacked Sheikh Shehata’s home and then set it on fire at the village of Abu Mussalam.
Amin pointed to the history of Egypt and said the country’s roots can be traced in the Shia Fatimid dynasty and the Sunni Al-Azhar center.
“In such a country, no group or sect has the right to Takfir (consider fellow Muslims as infidels) others and consider killing them permissible.”
Amin, who is a Coptic Christian and opposes any form of religious extremism, added, “the crime that took place against our Shia brothers in the past few days is absolutely unacceptable and deplorable and we condemn it.”
Asked about the silence of Egyptian government institution over the killings, he said a number of Islamic bodies as well as the Christian Coptic Church have denounced the crime.
He pointed to the issue of Takfir and said it is unacceptable for some Muslims to consider others as infidels and issue permission for killing them.
Amin noted that now that Egypt is in a sensitive juncture, the Takfiri ideology has entered the country from outside the borders.
He stressed the need for international Islamic bodies to speak out against radical tendencies and prevent extremist ideologies from spreading in society.
“They all have a responsibility to condemn the killing of Shia Muslims in Egypt and in other countries.”
Amin added that Islamic institution should work for fostering values such as understanding, dialogue, forgiveness and moderation, values that emphasized by all Divine religions.
He also said that governments are responsible for protecting religious minorities, criticizing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi for remaining silent over the anti-Shia statements in a recent Salafi gathering in the country.
“Such statements about Shia Muslims are unfounded and Morsi, who, as president, is responsible for protecting all Egyptian citizens should not have remained silent.”
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