A prominent figure in the Egyptian Gama'a Islamiyya, Dr. Najjah Ibrahim, wrote an article on the organization's website in which he complained that some Islamic groups neglect the crucial goals of helping the masses and educating them about their faith, concentrating instead on superficial matters that appeal to public sentiment. As examples, he mentioned the affair of 'Abir Fakhri, a Christian woman who allegedly converted to Islam, as well as the marches towards the Israeli border that occurred on Nakba Day (May 15, 2011).
The following are excerpts from the article:[1]
Reason Must Prevail over Sentiment
"Today, some of the factions in the Islamic movement give priority to emotions over reason, to outward [appearances] over the essence of things, to superficial [matters] over deep ones, and to feelings over careful calculation. They appeal to the emotions of the youth [instead of] disseminating the correct Islamic shari'a, and neglect the spreading and inculcation of [Islamic] laws that the Muslims have [always] found indispensable throughout their lives, as individuals, as a collective, and as a state. This [fact] was manifest in numerous ways in the past few months, when many people erroneously preferred to stir up the public's emotions and gain [its sympathy], at the expense of the interests of Islam and the [Islamic] homelands..."
"When Millions March From Egypt Towards the Occupied [Palestinian] Territories... It Is A Declaration of War on Israel"
"[One] example is the call to march towards Palestine, which spread like wildfire in this [country]. Outwardly, this call seems like a [show of] compassion [towards the Palestinians], but in actuality it is fraught with [danger]. It is a call that appeals to the emotions, but does not [really] benefit Islam, the [Islamic] homelands, or the Palestinian cause.
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"When millions march from Egypt towards the occupied [Palestinian] territories, the significance [of this move] is very straightforward: it is a declaration of war on Israel. The side that declared this war took this step against the will of the rest of the country and its military, political, or strategic apparatuses. That contravenes an important Islamic principle which I explained in an early book of mine titled The Authority to Make Sovereign [Decisions] Belongs to the Rulers, in which I discussed sovereign [matters] like the demarcation of borders and the declaration of war or peace. These matters are under the sole authority of governments, because Allah has endowed them with special abilities that [other] groups and individuals do not possess...
"How can we liberate Jerusalem [today], when we do not yet have a president or a parliament, in a climate of tumultuous sectarian wars that strike at our countries like the waves of the sea – and when the Egyptian economy is declining [from day to day] and a huge technological gap exists between us and Israel? Can a [limited] sector [of society] impose a war upon a nation unprepared [for war]?
"Wars are not a game or an opportunity to stir up emotions. [In fact,] wars have nothing to do with emotions. They are a matter for precise political, military, and strategic calculations, which are discussed in complete discretion, without noise or fanfare. [Egypt's] Supreme Council was right to issue a statement warning against the popular march [towards the border]. It knows best what is the strategy of Egypt, Gaza, and Palestine. The leaders of the Islamic movement in Egypt also acted correctly when they canceled these marches, on the grounds that they could put Egypt into a confrontation that it does not want and for which it is unprepared – not only vis-à-vis Israel, but also vis-à-vis its allies in the West."
"Al-Aqsa Will Only Be Freed When Egypt is Strong in Every Field..."
"We must remind the youth of today that the Muslims' feelings [of solidarity] with Palestine brimmed over after the Nakba of 1948, and that Egyptian students held demonstrations, staged marches, and underwent military training – yet despite this, Palestine was lost and the State of Israel was established.
"When Syria and Egypt planned a war against Israel... [they did so] quietly, with patience and vision, without fanfare and without provoking anyone. The October [1973] victory was a boon for us, a shock for the Israelis, and an uplifting [experience] for all the Arabs. [However,] we will never liberate Al-Aqsa by means of feelings and sentiments alone, but [only] through effort and action, by [advancing our] scientific research and technology, by fighting corruption, thievery, and bribery, and by restoring peace and security. First, we must overcome the chaos and the apathy in which we are mired. Al-Aqsa will only be freed when Egypt is strong in every field, as it was [in the time of] Saladin and the Crusaders, or [in the time of 13th century Egyptian Sultan Saif Al-Din] Qutuz, [who defeated] the Tartars..."
The 'Abir Fakhri Affair – An Example of Misguided Priorities
"[Another] example is the affair of 'Abir Fakhri. This [Christian] woman led a wretched life with her Christian husband, who cursed her, beat her, and threw her out of the house after she bore him a daughter, because he comes from an environment where sons are considered preferable to daughters. She [returned to] her parents' home, at loose ends, neither married nor divorced. [So] she found shelter in Islam, and made a show of [converting] – not out of love for Islam but [only] in order to solve her problem by transforming it from a social problem into a religious one. Then the Church [abducted her] and turned the [whole thing] into an affair in which an Egyptian woman was held captive without any legal justification. Later, some [Muslim] preachers turned [the affair] into a sectarian one [by] calling to hold demonstrations outside the church in the Imbaba [neighborhood] where she was held... The demonstration turned violent, [generating] bloodshed and civil strife, and the church was torched, nearly setting the whole country on fire. [Consider] how many Muslims were wounded or lost their lives over a woman whose conversion was of doubtful sincerity. Many people who knew ['Abir] in the recent past have confirmed this. According to them, after she converted, she did not pray and did not memorize any part of the Koran. She may have converted, but this conversion left no trace on her heart and her being. What has 'Abir done for Islam that we should make such a commotion on her behalf? The church too made a fatal mistake by holding her without just cause, as though her conversion [was tantamount to] the loss of all Christianity, which has over two billion [believers] worldwide.
"The religious principle of setting [correct] priorities was completely absent here. There are millions of Muslims in Egypt, yet nobody takes an interest in them or bothers to teach them about their faith. Some of them go to sleep hungry and naked, yet nobody cares. They deserve attention more than 'Abir does, but the [principles of setting] priorities, [considering] interests, and [fighting] corruption were completely neglected in this case. Who should have received priority, 'Abir, or some Muslims who need all [the help they can get] in order to become proper Muslims and lead a stable life?"
[1] Egyptianislamicgroup.com, May 16, 2011.
