Following the recent release of al-Azhar’s Freedoms Document, the premises of Beit al-Eila (Family Home) in Cairo hosted a meeting last Wednesday between the leaders of the various religious and political streams in Egypt.
Following the recent release of al-Azhar’s Freedoms Document, the premises of Beit al-Eila (Family Home) in Cairo hosted a meeting last Wednesday between the leaders of the various religious and political streams in Egypt. The meeting was attended by the Premier Kamal al-Ganzouri, Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the head of the Islamic Freedom and Justice party Ahmed Mursi, the head of the liberal Wafd party Sayed al-Badawi, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie, and Sheikh Muhammad Hassan of the Salafi stream. Presidential contenders Amr Moussa, Abdel-Muneim Abul-Fotouh, Selim al-Awwa and Hamdein Sabahi also attended.
A Church source told Watani that al-Tayyib and Badie described Copts as partners in the homeland, and that Hassan stressed on the Copts’ rights, and that they represent a crucial component of the community. Watani was also told that al-Azhar’s recently released Freedoms Documents, which stresses the freedoms of belief, expression and creativity, was unanimously approved by the attendants.
A day earlier, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyib announced that al-Azhar, the topmost authority on Sunni Islam in the world, was issuing a document on basic freedoms to serve as the basis of the new Egyptian constitution. The document lists freedom of belief, opinion, expression, scientific research, and art and literary creativity, which Sheikh Tayyeb said reflect al-Azhar’s vision for society. He explained that equality must be based on a solid foundation of citizenship, partnership, equal opportunity, rights and duties. Sheikh Tayyib stressed that freedom of belief goes against tendencies to label people as infidels, condemn other beliefs, or propensities to doubt the intentions of the faithful.
The al-Azhar document also guarantees the right to obtain the information necessary to express an opinion, while respecting the beliefs and rituals of the three Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism). Sheikh Tayyib said this was necessary to preserve the nation’s fabric and national security, as well as to prevent sectarian strife.
He said the freedoms declared should apply to the media, political parties and civil society organisations, as well as to the arts, in order to allow for constructive criticism of society, while taking into account ethical values and religious sensitivities..