- Human Rights
- December 21, 2010
- 2 minutes read
Rights group urges Egypt’s prosecutor to investigate edict against ElBaradei
A recent religious edict issued by Mahmoud Amer, head of Egypt’s Al-Sunna al-Mohamadiya religious group, calling on former IAEA chief Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, to "repent" for inciting civil unrest and calling for a popular boycott of next year’s presidential elections has been met with controversy and skeptism.
This and the statement made that the ruler has the right to kill ElBaradei or imprison him or others if they refuse to repent has captured the attention of rights groups
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights has urged Egypt’s general prosecutor to investigate the Salafi fatwa which continues with Amer describing ElBaradei as a sinner. The organization warned of the increase phenomena and the number of religious edicts that encouraged the killing of intellectuals, academics and opposition members
Islamic Studies Institute member Abdel Moati Bayoumi rejected Amer’s decree outright maintaining that the decree incited violence and had nothing to do with religion or politics. According to the statement intellectuals must challenge such calls, which historically endorsed the assassinations of former President Anwar Sadat and the intellectual Farag Fouda, and the attempted assassination of novelist Naguib Mahfouz. It also called on the general prosecutor to apply the law to those who issued religious edicts permitting the killing of people, stressing it spread fear among citizens.
Head of the EOHR Hafez Abu Saeda ascertained that the edict was harmful to Islam adding that the phenomenon of people imposing their trusteeship on Egyptian society must be overcome.