IUMS calls Egyptians for unity, safeguarding revolution goals
All praise be to Allah, and peace and prayers be upon His messenger Mohammad, his family, companions and followers,
The International Union for Muslim Scholars has followed the incidents in beloved Egypt since the outbreak of its great revolution that served as a lesson of civilized manners, values, unity, and sacrifice not to mention the role of its great army in preventing strife and safeguarding the country’s unity and sovereignty.
But no sooner have the fruits of its victory started to bloom than its enemies at home and abroad – joined by the remnants of the toppled regime – began to stir sedition, one after the other, in an attempt to fragment the revolutionaries on ideological bases, and in conspiracy against the Islamic Sharia with its recognized moderation that was approved as a source in all the previous constitutions. These efforts were aimed at distancing Egypt from its Islamic and Arab identity.
Considering the decision by the Constitutional Court to nullify the parliament which was elected within the most transparent elections witnessed in Egypt, completely disregarding the will of millions of Egyptians that participated in these transparent elections, and witnessing the forewarnings of plans to dissolve the Shura Council and the Constitutional Assembly; plans that went as far as a coup against the elected president himself, and seeing the obvious signs that the constitutional court has become a foe, evading objective handling of such issues, hence President’s Morsi’s decisions come as a preemptive step intended to secure the stability of state institutions and continue the process of building them instead of the state of constitutional and parliamentary vacuum which revolution enemies wish to create.
These hostile steps betray a desire to lead Egypt – the heart of the Arab and the Muslim world – to a state of perpetual chaos, and to ensure that its leaders are busied with the management of risks and conflicts instead of catching up with the trail of development and building. In that way Egypt would be deprived of stability, unable to attract investment or deal with its chronic problems like poverty and unemployment that have soured to unreasonable limits.
All these steps are bound for thwarting the revolution and its goals and consequently reviving the remnants of the former regime that crawled out of their holes, supported by money usurped by former regime tycoons and joined by a handful of cheap-benefit-hopefuls albeit at the expense of the interests of their country and its citizens.
Apparently, the greatest issue is that the revolution in Egypt did not overthrow all the roots of corruption – as the case is with revolutions – as the majority of corruption bodies have remained intact.
Seeing these serious incidents, politicians should have shown an understanding attitude to the temporary constitutional declaration where the president used his power and authorities to save the country from attempts of destruction and damage being carried out in Egypt and stirred toward bloodshed and spreading an atmosphere of friction among the country’s citizens.
Many law specialists and lawmakers have supported the constitutional declaration like Prof. Tharwat Badawi who stated that "No one may find fault with these decisions entitled to save the country from any kind of damage created by the enemies of the country” and expressed his amazement at how some judges came to such a position. He said that "The president’s decisions are dictated by the extraordinary situation and justified on the basis of necessity. This is a global principle approved in all democratic countries”.
Before this serious situation, the IUMS views and affirms the following:
First: The IUMS calls the Egyptian people for unity, preventing fragmentation and gathering around the goals of the revolution to foil the schemes of its enemies at home and abroad. These enemies do not wish to see Egypt prosper, but wish for it to remain feeble, preoccupied with its own problems and wounds in order that it may remain far from achieving power, development and welfare for its people and far from defending the causes of its Arab and Muslim nation. Allah Almighty had warned the dangers of division reminding us {and fall into no disputes, lest you lose heart and your power depart ;} [Quran 8: 46].
Even if there were some observations concerning the constitutional declaration, they may not be compared to sedition – which is harsher than killing – and division that Allah referred to it as an act of apostasy in the verse { O you who believe! If you listen to a faction among the People of the Book, they would (indeed) render you apostates after you have believed! } [Quran 3: 100]. The Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – also referred to it as infidelity in the hadith saying ("Do not revert to disbelief (become infidels) after me, striking the necks of one another (killing each other)."). Prophet Aaron – peace be upon him – tolerated with patience the apostasy of his people and their worship of the cow out of fear of division and sedition and said {Truly I feared lest you should say, 'You have caused a division among the children of Israel, and You did not respect my word!'"} [Quran 20: 94].
Thus, preserving unity is a religious obligation at this stage and it comes prior to these observations particularly since the constitutional declaration is limited with a time frame of a few months and linked to sovereign decisions.
Second: The IUMS warns that the preoccupation of revolutionaries with dispute against each other gives former regime remnants and the country’s enemies the opportunity to penetrate the congregation and disguise as opposition to cause strife of unimaginable extent, dangers and future implications.
Hence, the IUMS urges political leaders who love Egypt to gather together, meet with the President for dialogue and to reach whatever brings prosperity to Egypt. These leaders undertake a responsibility – whether they make a positive or negative one out of it – before God, then before this country and history.
Third: It is religiously impermissible for honest citizens to seek support from foreigners, nor employ them to resolve internal issues. This is a grand treason and violation of God’s right and that of the country.
All along its Islamic history, Egypt has been a unified front with both its Muslims and Christians facing enemies and occupiers. They have never sought rescue from a foreigner even in the bleakest of situations, so how can they now ask foreigners to back them against a lawfully elected president?
Fourth: Today, Egypt of the revolution faces an unlawful counter-revolution funded by corruption money and masterminded by corruptors against the legitimate revolution that gave birth to the transparent election of the parliament, the Shura Council, and the president. For that reason, the IUMS calls on all Egyptians to stand aligned facing this true conspiracy against Egypt, its identity, to turn the scheme against the schemer. And we, at the Union, are certain of the Egyptian people’s ability to achieve these ends.
Fifth: The IUMS urges the Egyptian people, president, government and politicians to exert their utmost efforts to achieve comprehensive development, eliminate poverty, unemployment, regression, and make serious attempts to build an economically, politically, socially, technically and militarily strong Egypt because Egypt’s role was and will remain prominent as long as it enjoys a wise leadership.
Sixth: It is a matter that is essentially established in religion, in all revealed religions, in all constitutions, and laws that obedience to the legally-in-charge and elected authority is an undisputable obligation and mandate. Allah said {O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you.} [Quran 4: 59] and the prophetic sayings on the great sin of contradicting the commands of the agreed ruler and disparaging them are too many to mention in this regard.
Seventh: The IUMS praises the stance of Egypt’s Islamists – the Muslim Brotherhood, the salafi movement, the Islamic Jamaa and others – and their sense of responsibility shown in their step to postpone their "million march” of Tuesday to prevent sedition and evade bloodshed.
Eighth: The IUMS condemns the violence and burning of Muslim Brotherhood headquarters and others. This is an act of sabotage, warfare, and mischief in the earth that deserves the harshest punishment for its perpetrators.
In this regard, the IUMS urges protesters to be committed to peacefulness, preserve the civilized Egyptian face of their protests, and prevent former regime agents from utilizing the situation and exploiting them to stir sedition.
At the conclusion, we supplicate to Allah to safeguard Egypt, its revolution, its people, and its lawful, elected leadership against obvious and embedded strife, to turn the schemes of their enemies against them, and send these schemers back with shame and failure.
{"Our Lord!”, "Let not our hearts deviate now after You have guided us, but grant us mercy from Your own Presence; for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure.} [Quran 3: 8]
And from Allah we seek assistance!
Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
IUMS Secretary General IUMS President