Terrorism has departed leaving an empty space in its place, the domination over which a long line of new extremists is now fighting. They are the stars of noisy religious speeches on tapes and in books. In a tape that carries the name of a famous star in the area of religious speeches, is a complete enlightened explanation of the rules of the Islamic Shari’a’ in the area of Muslim women’s veils, supported by Qur’anic texts and valid Hadith. However, in many places, the preacher forgets himself and thinks that he is performing an acting scene on stage, and that he must get the audience’s applause, encouragement, tears and laughs. Things were mixed in his head, when he thought that his speech would not be as good if he did not mix tragedy with comedy, inserting jokes in religious matters.
This kind of religious speech is popular with listeners. The religious cassette gets higher selling rates than Amr Diab or Kazem Al-Saher [popular Egyptian singers].
The truth is that the "show" preachers have an old school that invented new ways for dominating simple people. The most famous of those was there until few years ago. He invented the way of mixing religious speeches and romantic songs. That sheikh was professional in destroying Egypt’s artistic symbols, making fun of them and defaming their reputation in front of people. In the same time, he was igniting fire in ashes, strengthening conflicts, defending terrorists and finding excuses for them for the murders they commit. He raised the motto of reconciliation between them and the state to weaken the strength of the state. It was only normal to find the mosque in which his eminence gives the Friday speech surrounded by police cars, for fear of the fires he ignited between people.
The most dangerous thing that sheikh did was establishing a new school for Friday preachers who use romantic songs and jokes side by side with Qur’anic texts and Hadith.
The country has gone a long way in fighting terrorism. The last castle trying to restore its throne to inject its poisons everywhere is the Azhar Scholars’ Front. A decree was issued to dissolve it, but it rebelled against the dissolution and exploited legal tricks that led to a court decision to cancel the dissolution decree. The case is still in courts.
That Front is the one that gave all the fatwas of killing and terrorism the lawful religious cover as it carries the stamp of Al-Azhar. So, after some killing fatawa issued by the group against intellectuals and artists, the government did not take care except after the group brushed with the country’s political symbols. That was when a decree was issued to dissolve it. Nobody noticed when the group raised its complaint to administrative jurisdiction. Nobody submitted the documents that would condemn and dissolve it. The result was the issuing of a court decision that the dissolution decree was void.
Now, the question is: What if the front returned to its previous activity as the secret sensor of the country and its intellectuals’ consciences?
The grand Imam Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi answered saying: "The supreme administrative court will review the appeal of the dissolution decree on April 2."
I asked His Eminence: "Why didn’t Al-Azhar take the initiative of purifying the country of the books and tapes that play with the minds of simple people, taking them in many puzzles, away from the warm nature of Islam?"
His Eminence said: "Al-Azhar’s job is not confiscation. The laws of the country gave it the right to review these books and tapes clarifying what they contain of wrong and right. If it finds something that contradicts with Islam, it suggests the prohibition of publishing, but it cannot issue a decree of confiscation. Confiscation is one of the authorities of jurisdiction and not of Al-Azhar."
