Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

A few days ago, some Egyptian newspapers headlines read: ‘The Azhar signs an international religious rights document allowing Christian missionary work in Egypt,’ Zaynab ‘Abd Allāh writes. The news said that this document was signed by the Azhar with visiting U.S. Christian clerics in April 2005 [See AWR, 2005, 16, art. 3].

In its issue no. 421 of April 18, 2006, al-Usbou‘ managed to secure a scoop, publishing a long report under the title “Did the Azhar approve a U.S. document on freedom of proselytizing for Christianity in the Muslim world?” together with a copy of this controversial document.

In the above-mentioned report, Mustafa Sulaymān of al-Usbou‘ outlined the 17 items of the document, which was signed by the then head of the Azhar’s Interfaith Dialogue Committee, Shaykh Fawzī al-Zifzāf on behalf of the grand imām of the Azhar, Shaykh Muhammad Sayyid Tantāwī, during a meeting with a U.S. delegation calling itself ‘Ambassadors for Peace’.

The delegation included pastors Emile Haddād, Gary Andsell, Adīb Ghubryāl and Dr. Muhammad al-Batrān.

Asked for comment on the content of the document, member of the Islamic Research Academy, Dr. Jamāl al-Dīn Mahmoud warns against item 12 which reads: “Every person no matter what religion, race, or nationality has the right to live at peace with their neighbor, no matter what their faith.” Stating that Islam orders Muslims to fight against the occupiers, Dr. Mahmoud argues that this item offers protection for the “Zionist entity.”

Meanwhile, Shaykh al-Zifzāf argues that the document does not contain a single item that contradicts the Islamic sharī‘a and that it was signed with the approval of Shaykh Tantāwī. Strangely enough, Zaynab ‘Abd Allāh states, the grand imām denies all knowledge of the document, diclaiming the Ahzhar’s responsibility for it.

*Similar news was reported by al-Akhbār of April 5, 2006 (p. 1), al-Jumhourīya of April 5, 2006 (p. 1), al-Sharq al-Awsat of April 5, 2006 (p. 9) and al-Fajr of April 10, 2006 (p. 4)