Egypt: judiciary considers a case filed to isolate al-Azhar Sheikh

An Egyptian court in Cairo approved yesterday accepting a judicial case demanding dropping the membership of Sheikh al-Azhar Muhammad Sayed Tantawi from the Islamic research complex in preparation to remove him from his post and set a session for that on March 26.

The case was filed by Lawyer Nabih al-Wahash in which he says that Sheikh al-Azhar Muhammad Sayed Tantawi has "violated conditions of the membership in the Islamic research complex as he behaved in a way underestimates his position as a Muslim, and does not comply with the grade of his membership."

He explained that these violations include receiving Jewish Rabbis, issuing contradictory Fatwas on the benefits of banks, and in not considering the operations carried out by the Palestinians as " Martyrdom," as he called these operations "suicide," in addition to his recent statement in which he said that banning the cover in France is an internal matter in which he does not interfere in.

The said lawyer said that these reasons are enough to remove Sheikh al-Azhar from the research complex, as stated by the law that provides for it. He added he filed this case in preparation to file another case states to isolate Tantawi from Sheikh al-Azhar post, noting that of the conditions to assume the post of Sheikh al-Azhar, the candidate has to be member in the Islamic research complex.