Egyptian muslim cleric hate

Preachers' claim that visiting Egyptian antiquities contradicts Islam sparks outrage

Yurkiye Today
November 4, 2025

Egyptian Salafi preacher Mustafa al-Adawy sparked widespread debate after urging Muslims to avoid glorifying ancient Egyptian civilization during the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, warning against “fitna” and admiration of Pharaoh and his people.

Al-Adawy urged caution for those visiting the museum, emphasizing that the visit should not lead to admiration or veneration of ancient Egyptian civilization.

In a video that quickly gained traction on social media, al-Adawy expressed his concerns, stating, "I fear that Egyptians will be captivated by the statue of Ramses and the idols, statues, and treasures of the Pharaohs, along with the methods of mummification housed in the museum.

He stressed that these artifacts should be visited with the purpose of reflection, rather than pride, citing the Quranic verse: "Say, 'Travel through the land and observe how the end of the criminals was.'"

Al-Adawy further criticized Pharaoh, calling him "the cursed tyrant who claimed divinity." He underscored that it is the duty of every Muslim to disassociate from Pharaoh’s actions and beliefs.

"We bear witness to Allah that we renounce him, his followers, and his corrupt, tainted beliefs," he declared. The preacher urged Muslims to visit the museum with the intent of drawing lessons from the artifacts, not to celebrate them.

Following his controversial comments, Egyptian security forces arrested Al-Adawy in the Dakahlia Governorate.

He was later released on bail of $ 210 ( 10,000 Egyptian pounds ) after the prosecution heard his testimony regarding the widely circulated video.

In response to al-Adawy’s statements, several religious scholars and media figures publicly defended the act of visiting the museum.

They argued that such visits do not conflict with Islamic teachings and instead serve to recognize and appreciate the contributions of ancient Egyptian civilization to human history.

Activists have shared a previous fatwa by Saudi Arabian Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, the new Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, on social media in the context of al-Adawy’s comments.

The fatwa, published in 2023, addresses the permissibility of visiting Pharaonic antiquities and was cited frequently after the museum's grand opening.

According to al-Fawzan’s fatwa, visiting Pharaonic relics is permissible if the purpose is reflection, learning, and fostering reverence for Allah Almighty.

However, he warned that if the intention behind the visit is simply sightseeing or glorifying the ancient civilization, this would be impermissible under Islamic law.

"If the intent is merely sightseeing, recreation, or glorifying them as people of civilization and power, praising them, then this is not allowed," al-Fawzan stated in the fatwa.

As the Grand Egyptian Museum officially opens its doors to the public on Tuesday, the debate over how Islamic teachings intersect with the appreciation of Egypt’s ancient history continues to unfold, with both religious leaders and the public offering varied perspectives.

CAIRO, Nov 26 (MENA) - Mufti of Egypt Shawki Allam stressed on Monday that granting women and men equal inheritance rights violates Islamic Sharia.

In a statement, the Mufti said the concept of gender equality in inheritance is against Islam's teachings.

Islamic Sharia allows men to inherit double what a woman would receive.

In Islam, Ijtihad is not employed where authentic texts (Qur'an and Hadith) are considered unambiguous with regard to the matter in question, he said.

All inheritance laws are detailed in Quran in a clear way, he added.

The remarks came after Tunisia’s president on Monday proposed giving women equal inheritance rights in a clear challenge to Islamic law.

Muslim cleric who ‘said it's OK for husbands to hit wives’ allowed to tour UK universities

A MUSLIM cleric who allegedly said displeased husbands should hit their wives “with a small stick” has been allowed to tour British universities unchallenged.

By FRASER MOORE
Jan 10, 2016

Egyptian cleric Fadel Soliman has spoken at five events in the past year, in which he reportedly advocates domestic violence and outlines the “Islamic case” for sex slavery and polygamy.

At a University of Sheffield event he told more than 100 students to share his controversial videos on Facebook, according to the Daily Mail.

He also appears to have a celebrity-like following, with groups of women discussing how much they “loved” the cleric before the Sheffield event.

One young woman even travelled all the way from London just to see him in the flesh.

Mr Soliman has denied he supports domestic violence, but in one of his 30-part video series he allegedly says: ”After passing through two stages of non-physical interaction, the next stage must involve something physical, in order to escalate the intensity of the warning.

“The true implication of the spanking is to sound an alarm that the husband has passed to a new stage of serious displeasure.”

Meanwhile, the organisation CAGE - which called sick ISIS murderer Jihadi Jon a “beautiful young man”- has spoken at 13 events at universities since September.

It has even allegedly called on students to sabotage government counter-terrorism strategy Prevent.

As many as 19 universities now face an inquiry over failing to “ensure those espousing extremist views do not go unchallenged” as outlined by the scheme.

Home Secretary Theresa May - who pioneered Prevent - said the revelations show universities need to do more to stop ‘damaging, extremist rhetoric’ going unchallenged on campuses.

Jihadi John, real name Mohammed Emwazi, is believed to have been radicalised at Westminster University.

Muslim clerics shun interfaith forum in Qatar after Israeli scholars invited

By Reuters

DOHA, Qatar - Two prominent Muslim clerics are boycotting an interfaith forum in Qatar after Israeli Jewish scholars were asked to take part, organizers said yesterday.

This is the first time Jews have been invited to take part in what was previously an Islamic-Christian conference held for the past two years in the Gulf Arab state.

Organizers said Egypt's Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, one of the Sunni Muslim world's most respected clerics, and Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, an outspoken Egyptian Sunni cleric, were boycotting the forum, which starts tomorrow in Doha.

"They said they would not attend the conference due to political reasons. ... Opposition is not to Judaism, it is a protest against Israeli aggression against the Palestinians," said Aisha al-Manai, head of the organizing committee.

"Israel has not told us who they will be sending, but we sent them three invitations. We should be hearing from them within the next day or two," she added.

At last year's interfaith meeting, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said the forum to promote Muslim-Christian dialogue should be widened to include Jews.

Though Qatar has no diplomatic relations with Israel, it has angered other Arab states by maintaining low-level ties with the Jewish state.

It was not clear if the clerics would attend if Israel chose not to send anyone.

Egyptian press union condemns prominent Muslim cleric for provocative comments

CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt's press union criticized one of Sunni Islam's highest authorities Thursday following comments that seemed to condone a recent government crackdown against opposition journalists in the country.

Grand Sheik Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's pre-eminent institution and oldest university, did not specifically mention several journalists who were sentenced to prison in September for coverage deemed insulting to the president, but seemed to address the issue in religious terms.

"God will not respond to the invocation of the arrogant and pretenders who accuse others with the ugliest vice and unsubstantiated charges," said Tantawi during a religious celebration Monday attended by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and broadcast live on television.

"The Islamic Sharia (law) subjected all the people to be equally punished for the crime of libel which is a flagrant aggression on the virtuous men and women," he added. Tantawi's comments were published in Al-Akhbar newspaper Wednesday and in Sawt Al-Azhar, the mouthpiece of Al-Azhar, the following day.

The Egyptian Press Syndicate issued a statement Thursday criticizing Tantawi, who was appointed to his position by Mubarak more than 10 years ago.

"The Press Syndicate met with deep shock what sheik of Al-Azhar, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, said, whereby he seemed to be joining, through his senior post, in an escalating campaign of provocation against journalism, journalists and opinion leaders," said the group.

The government has also targeted the press for recent reports questioning the health of the 79-year-old president, putting one editor of an opposition daily on trial for his involvement.

The president, who has ruled Egypt for more than a quarter century, has no designated successor. But many say his son Gamal is being groomed for power, a prospect that has raised widespread opposition.

Mubarak and state-run media did not comment on or deny the rumors for weeks until the president appeared in photos and gave an interview to state-run media.

First lady Suzanne Mubarak said in a rare television appearance in September that her husband was healthy and argued that journalists who reported otherwise should be punished.

During his speech, Tantawi seemed to argue for serious punishment as well, quoting a verse from the Quran saying that those who accused women of adultery without necessary proof were to receive "80 floggings."

He said his example involved women but added that "libel is also applicable to men ... this punishment is set by God to protect the honor of men and women from bad talk that hurts dignity and honor."

The press union's response was also tough, expressing "deep sadness and anger that such comments and weird fatwas (religious edicts) would contribute in tarnishing Islam."

"The syndicate still expects from Al-Azhar institution to align itself with right, justice and freedom and all the principles that Islam condone and preach," the group added.

Tantawi tried to soften his statements Thursday after the media outcry, telling Egypt's official news agency MENA that he respects journalists and was offering a general ruling rather than targeting any specific group.

But last month Tantawi condemned journalists who addressed rumors about Mubarak's health as "immoral rumormongers."

Meanwhile, 34 members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay, criticized Egyptian authorities for its crackdown against local journalists.

"Despite the promise made three years ago by President Mubarak to abolish prison sentences in publication cases, instead of journalists being provided with more protection for freedom of expression, such sentences against journalists have increased tremendously in the last few years," said the group in a written statement.

IFEX is comprised of organizations from all over the world that protect freedom of the press and expression.