Tantawi rejects denial of women's political rights

Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh, Muhammad Sayed Tantawi, said yesterday that the Muslim woman has the right to be nominated and elected and to assume judicial positions, and he doest agree with those who Muslim women their political rights.

Tantawi said that it is the right of a mature Muslim woman in the Islamic Sharia to elect whom she wants, and to nominate herself for higher parliamentary seats. He added the woman has the right to be in the judiciary. "I personally, found no text that prevents the woman from assuming posts in judiciary."

He added " I am talking about Muslim woman in every and each Muslim country. In Egypt, Kuwait and others." The Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am quoted Tantawi as saying yesterday that the "current debate in sisterly Kuwait on the right of the woman in the political participation is rejected by al-Azhar because rights are not negotiable nor argued upon."

Nevertheless, continuous efforts in Kuwait since years have not succeeded in enacting a law allowing women to vote and nominate themselves in the elections because of the opposition of "extreme" Islamic factions.