Egypt--Muslim free to change faith..

[+chilli]

Muslims 'free to change faith'
24/07/2007 14:38 - (SA)
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/New ... 52,00.html

Cairo - Egypt's official religious advisor has ruled that Muslims are free to change their faith as it is a matter between an individual and God, in a move which could have far-reaching implications for the country's Christians.

Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa said: "The essential question before us is can a person who is Muslim choose a religion other than Islam? The answer is yes, they can."

Gomaa was quoted in a posting on a Washington Post-Newsweek forum picked up by the Egyptian press on Tuesday.

He wrote: "The act of abandoning one's religion is a sin punishable by God on the Day of Judgement. If the case in question is one of merely rejecting faith, then there is no worldly punishment."

In many Muslim societies, those who converted to another religion were considered apostates and could be subject to capital punishment.

Emergency laws

Gomaa said that if the conversions undermine the "foundations of society" then it must be dealt with by the judicial system, without elaborating.

Attempts by Muslims in Egypt to convert to other religions had been hindered by the state's refusal to recognise the change in official documents and in some cases had led to arrests and imprisonment.

Hossam Bahgat of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said: "Even though it is not a criminal offence in Egypt, they get detained under emergency laws or are put on trial for contempt of religion if they wish to convert.

"This ruling is significant, especially coming from Gomaa. Between 2004 and now, there have been many court cases involving Christian converts to Islam that want to convert back to Christianity who are unable to do so."

Apostasy threatens public order

Bahgat, who was involved with a case of 12 former Christians who converted to Islam and were now trying to revert, said that Gomaa's previous fatwas on the issue said apostasy threatened public order.

The current opinion opened the possibility of converting without threatening "the foundations of society".

A spokesperson for Dar al-Iftaa, the body headed by Gomaa which was responsible for issuing religious opinions, maintained that the mufti's stance had not changed.

He said: "The posting is consistent with the mufti's past fatwas. Apostasy is only punishable when it is considered akin to subversion."

The issue of apostasy was a thorny one in the Islamic world, with one extremist interpretation declaring that apostates should be killed.

Judge Ahmed Mekky, the deputy head of Egypt's Supreme Court, said: "The punishment for apostasy is controversial. There is nothing in any Koranic text about this."

Instead the texts talked about apostates who were put to death for treachery - a political rather than religious crime.

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Am not sure what he really said because it also said he denies saying the both.

What do you think? Is he right in forming that opinion?

[paidmonk]

He has the right to change faiths, let him.

[+chilli]

I don't think you understand, he is going against a large body of literature/Islamic opinion that says otherwise, and he is a government 'official' religious Mufti.

I neither agree or disagree with him, my knowledge is limited in that area.

But I think he has no right to say that, just like that to reports of all ppl, if is going to make a fatwa than ok.

Its so sad how traditional Islam has been lost, no scholar would just state an opinion without first go through a critical body.

[SummerRain]

Well, its a shame that a person with his status speaks of opinion rather than what Islam says of the issue. I cant agree or disagree with him, for my know of the issue is limited.

[*Arabman]

Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa isn't credible because he's not independent; he's an employee of Husni Mubarak's government. Husni Mubarak's employees espouse a secular ideology that appeases non-Muslims. We have seen the likes of Mufti Ali Gomaa, like Sayyid Tantawi who issued a fatwa allowing Muslim Girls in France to take off their hijab. These are secular muftis, imams, sheikhs, etc, and therefore, not credible.

[SummerRain]

[quote="*Arabman"]Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa isn't credible because he's not independent; he's an employee of Husni Mubarak's government. Husni Mubarak's employees espouse a secular ideology that appeases non-Muslims. We have seen the likes of Mufti Ali Gomaa, like Sayyid Tantawi who issued a fatwa allowing Muslim Girls in France to take off their hijab. These are secular muftis, imams, sheikhs, etc, and therefore, not credible.[/quote]

He might be uncredible to many of us, however, how about in the eyes of a non believer, what are they going to think about our scholars. To them, he is credible, for he is appointed by the highest authority of the country, Just like the Vatican is credible to many Christians. Its just not save to say that he is not credible and move on. There are plenty of envious people who live to judge our scholars negetavily everyday. Its imparative that they follow the quran, and not speak of opinions, surely when you mix politics and religion, the results are disastrous.

[*Arabman]

[Just like the Vatican is credible to many Christians.]

The Vatican is credible to some Catholics. There's no analogy between the Vatican and Islamic institutions. There are the clergy system, sainthood, "confessions", "absolvements", etc in the Vatican, whereas there aren't such stuff in Islamic institutions.

[SummerRain]

[quote="*Arabman"][Just like the Vatican is credible to many Christians.]

The Vatican is credible to some Catholics. There's no analogy between the Vatican and Islamic institutions. There are the clergy system, sainthood, "confessions", "absolvements", etc in the Vatican, whereas there aren't such stuff in Islamic institutions.[/quote]


I like how you always just pick about the point you want to response back to. Anyways, my point was not the analogy between Christianity and Islam, although you stated a valid point above. My point was the Imams and the religious scholars of Islam should only follow what Islam teaches whether they are govt appointees or independent. Sadly, that is not the case here, so many people, so call Muslims are willing to change the teachings to the quran to better convienence their daily lives and appease non-Muslims. Those very scholars are going to be the ones delivering the message of Islam to many non believer and representing us, but on what, their personal opinion? We cant let that happen. It is going to ruin the image of Islam and create alot of false information to be spread.

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

"There is no compulsion in religion."

Now, either this is true, and one can decide what faith one wants regardless of birth, or not. Arabman, you tell me? Was Mohammed just full of shit when he said no compulsion in religion?

[*Arabman]

[My point was the Imams and the religious scholars of Islam should only follow what Islam teaches whether they are govt appointees or independent.]

How can an imam or religious scholar who is an employee of a secular government follow what Islam teaches? Such an imam or religious scholar has guidelines on what to teach or preach; no compliance with the guidelines mean getting fired from the job and incarceration.

[Hyperactive]

what you expect when sheikh is an employee and take his salary from the government.

[+chilli]

Ismhan havn't you learnt yet, AM is a broken tape recorder.

He isn't the first to say this, he just did it in a weird way, which shows it was meant for the media and the American.
Shiarah laws are very delicate in today's society, without a correct leader we will find ourselves in confusion, this Mufti, an 'official' or not should have taken into account the position of Mulims around him, that was very selfish of him.

[SummerRain]

Chilli,

Thats exactly my argument. Such leaders are the representives for Muslims, so its imparrative that they stick to facts rather than opinions to appease the Western world. However, in this world you will find all kinds of people who will do anything for a check and getting satisfaction from pleasing the wrong party.

[FAH1223]

[quote="MAD MAC"]"There is no compulsion in religion."

Now, either this is true, and one can decide what faith one wants regardless of birth, or not. Arabman, you tell me? Was Mohammed just full of shit when he said no compulsion in religion?[/quote]

Muhammad SAW, didn't say that. ALL MIGHTY GOD said that

[*Arabman]

[what you expect when sheikh is an employee and take his salary from the government.]

Independent sheikhs who speak haqq are arrested, tortured and sometimes executed. In any case, virtually all Muslim countries are governed by secular regimes. Religion in Muslim countries is "regulated." However, change is on the horizon.