Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Al-Bannā continues to refute the argument that Islam abrogates earlier religions, and refutes the possible “specious arguments” that could be used against his own assertions.

The article reviews a book entitled, ‘Thalāth Fatāwá Muhimah’ [three important Ffatwás] issued by the Saudi Scientific Research and Fatwá Department. It contains three Fatwá that have considered non-Muslims as Kāfirs and called for wiping out churches and synagogues in Islamic countries.

Shaykh Mansūr al-

Rifā‘ī, former under secretary at the Ministry of Endowments, says that God describes

Muslims as the best people that have been brought forth for mankind as long as they "enjoin right conduct,

forbid

indecency and believe in God." While exonerating Islam from the charges of violence, terrorism and

extremism,

Shaykh al-Rifā‘ī blames Muslims for failing to correct the false image

of Islam,

which he says the Western mass media has propagated.

The author argues that the religion received by all prophets is the religion of Islam and that this is mentioned in the Qur´an. He believes that the religion of Islam is the only religion accepted by God.

The author criticizes Sayyed Al-Qimni´s opinions concerning the punishment for apostasy in Islam and accuses him of ignorance. He argues that because Al-Qimni belongs to the Qur´anien, who deny the sunna, he denies the faith mentioned in the Qur´an.

Dr. Muhammad Mugahed and Sheikh Khalid El-Gindi said that whoever does not believe in Muhammad as a prophet is a kafar [unbeliever], whether he is a polytheist, Jew or Christian. The author wonders what the reaction of a Christian youth who was thinking about committing a martyrdom operation in Palestine would be when he knows that the sheikhs of the Azhar consider him an unbeliever who would be sent to hell when he dies.

The article gives the opinions of some Muslim scholars and thinkers on the issue of inter-religious dialogue. Some of them believe the dialogue to be important and necessary, if it aims at promoting the shared values between religions. Others believe it to be a crime and a waste of time, especially if its aim is to establish a new religion.

The author expressed the opinion that Islam is the sealed religion and the only religion accepted by God. He quoted many Qura’nic verses to prove that all prophets starting from Noah and ending by Jesus Christ had called for Islam.

Bishop Yohanna Qulta discussed the hottest religious issues in an interview of Akher Sa’a.. He also answered all questions concerning the relationship between Islam and Christianity, and the differences between them. He commented on how the Qur’an regarded Jesus Christ and Mary, and on why they consider Muslims to be closer to them than Jews. He then discussed how Egyptian rulers had treated the Copts from the time of the Islamic conquest until now, especially presidents Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak.

[Kitabis: lit.: "people of the Book" i.e., Christians and Jews]

The author believes that the Coptic candidate of the Wafd, Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour, suffered a ridiculous attack in the name of religion by his Muslim opponent who distributed a flyer including some Qur’anic verses, aiming to distract the voters from Abdel-Nour. The author explained all the Qur’anic verses that were quoted to prove that the Muslim opponent misused and misinterpreted them for his own interest.