Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

The Muslim Brotherhood set Egyptian politics ablaze with their decision to nominate their chief financier, Khairat al-Shātir, for the presidency. All political groups recognize the right of the group to do so but many have criticized them harshly, recalling their promise from early in the revolution.

Presidential hopeful Dr. Muhammad Salīm al-‘Awwā said the the Holy Qur’ān can not be a Constitution for the nation but for believers, adding he is neither Shiite nor backed by Shiites because "we're in a Sunnī country". [Ibtisām Ta’lab, Misbāh al-Hajar and ‘Abdullah al-‘Arīnī, Al-Misrī al-Yawm, March 25, p. 3] Read original text in Arabic

Constitutional expert Dr. Muhammad Nūr Farahāt reiterated rejection of the draft law on Hadd al-Hirābah (punishment for brigandage) forwarded by Salafī Member of Parliament ‘Ādil al-‘Azzāzī of al-Nūr Party, saying the law will cause discrimination among the sons of one nation. ['Abīr Mursī, al-Ahrām, March 16, p. 7] Read original text in Arabic

Dr. Nājih Ibrāhīm, a key founder of the Jamā’ah Islāmīyah in Egypt and the first chairman of its shūrá (consultative) council, offered an apology to Copts for “what has befallen them as a result of the Jamā’ah’s mistakes during the 1970s and 1980s”. [Robeir al-Fāris, Watanī, March 4, p. 5] Read original text in Arabic

A fact-finding commission sent by the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) to investigate the sectarian unrest in the troubled district of al-'Āmrīyah, Alexandria, revealed that the Christian families forced to leave their homes and property after clashes over a purported love affair between a Muslim woman and a Christian man are now residing in Muslims' houses in the area of al-Huwayjī. [Nādyah Mutāwa' and 'Abd al-Wahāb Sha'bān, al-Wafd, Feb. 15, p. 1] Read original text in Arabic

 AWR obtained the original text of the Azhar documents for Freedom. Please find it below.

Our November 4 review of Prof. Hans Jansen’s article “Copts” in Hoeiboei, on October 14th led Jansen to write that “Most arguments in defence of Islam are known in The Netherlands for what they are, it makes little sense to repeat these another time. With best wishes, Hans Jansen.” [ In Dutch: De meeste argumenten ter verdediging van de islam zijn in Nederland inmiddels wel al gezien voor wat ze zijn, het heeft weinig zin om die nog eens te laten herhalen. Met vriendelijkegroet, HansJansen.]

Prof. Wolfram Reiss, University of Vienna, responded: “Congratulations, your article is wonderful. I read the biography of Muhammad Jansen wrote. It is awful full of polemics. It is full of destruction of al-Sīrah al-Nabawīyyah, but on the other side, he does not have any other alternative. The summary of Jansen’s work is: Nobody knows anything about Muhammad because everything is wrong in al-Sīrah. Of course there are good critical remarks which should be considered, but on the other side he does not show any other perspective to deal with the biography."

Please read full text here

Judges delegated by the Court of Appeal to investigate the October 9 clashes that left 24 killed and 350 others wounded accused Hānī ‘Azīz, Secretary General of Egypt Lovers and Peace Society (ELPS) of stoking chaos in the streets and fitnah tā'ifīyah. [Hātim al-Jahmī, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, Jan. 7, p. 3] Read original text in Arabic 

Grand Shaykh of the Azhar Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyīb said Western claims that Christians of the East are suffering persecution are “flagrant lies that clash with reality,” adding these allegations were only meant to feign panic from democracy that is now sweeping the Arab world. [Muhammad ‘Abd al-Khāliq, al-Ahrām, Jan. 6, p. 11] Read original text in Arabic 

The ‘urfī (conciliatory) council of the elders of Muslims and Copts in Asyut governorate managed to restore calm to al-‘Adar on the third day of sectarian incidents in the village and some other neighboring villages, sparked after a Coptic high school student has reportedly published cartoons offensive to Muslims on his Facebook page. [‘Abduh Hasānyn and Ahmad al-Asyūtī, Al-Wafd, Jan. 2, p. 5] Read original text in Arabic