Mufti's 'hymen fatwa' causes shock waves among scholars
By Yasmine Saleh
First Published: February 20, 2007
CAIRO: Reconstructive hymen surgery for women who lost their virginity before marriage is halal (religiously permissible), said to Aly Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt.
Gomaa, the highest authority with the power to issue a fatwa (religious edict), appeared the popular terrestrial Channel Two’s talk show El Beit Beitek, where he condoned the controversial fatwa, released by Soad Saleh, the ex-dean of the faculty of Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University and noted scholar.
Shiekh Khaled El Gindy, an Al-Azhar scholar and member of the Higher Council of Islamic Studies told The Daily Star Egypt that he agrees with the new fatwa.
"Islam never differentiates between men and women, so it is not rational for us to think that God has placed a sign to indicate the virginity of women without having a similar sign to indicate the virginity of men," El Gindy said.
"Any man who is concerned about his prospective wife’s hymen should first provide a proof that he himself is virgin," he added.
El Gindy voiced his full support for Gomaa.
Not only did Gomaa acknowledge the fatwa but asked women who will undergo the contentious surgery not to tell their future spouses about it, since this is not a question of honesty.
"If God wants us to know everything about each other, He would have given us the ability to read each others' minds, so why did he not do so? Perhaps maybe someone would have a wrong idea about you now but will change it later," Gomaa said.
Even more shocking to many observers, Gomaa said that if a married woman had sexual intercourse with another man but truly regretted her actions and asked God for forgiveness, she should not tell her husband.
"According to Sharia, if a husband knew that his wife had sexual intercourse with anyone else, he should divorce her, so by not telling him she would be protecting her home and her life," he explained.
The fatwa has led to much controversy within Al-Azhar and Egyptian society as a whole.
In Upper Egypt honor crimes are still committed. If a woman loses her virginity out of wedlock, she is considered a big shame on everyone and deserves to die.
In response to such ideas, El Gindy told The Daily Star Egypt that, "Islam does not care for the feelings of ignorant people, just as the law does not protect the idiots."
Comment on article! Add New Comment on article!
Comments on Article
funny
Hymen Re-construction
verginity is in the mind not in the hymen
Muslim_Europe_Bosnia
what happened to aherence to shariah
Scholar ?
scholar??
Allah...thank you...
Al-hamdullah
contradiction
Please stay united and support the Mufti Aly Gomaa
Mufti Aly Gomma is a great man
What religion is that?
Augustus
Great News We have A license for sex?
Sex Does not require a liense
Add Your Comment
Title
Comment:
http://dear.to/cairo
http://dear.to/cairo
| Last Updated: Saturday, 23 June 2007, 08:12 GMT 09:12 UK |
|
Saudi religious police face trial | ||
The deaths, which occurred a few weeks ago, sparked a media uproar, leading to calls for a re-evaluation of the force's role and responsibilities. One of the dead men had been accused of socialising with an unrelated woman, the other of alleged alcohol peddling. Both died shortly after being detained by the religious police. Members of the force, known as The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, roam the streets to make sure that shops are closed during prayer time, and that women observe the strict dress code and that they do not mix with unrelated males. Balance of power Over the past few years, criticism of the force has grown louder and the Saudi royal family promised reform. As a result, the religious police had some of its powers curtailed. But the deaths of the men in custody have reignited the debate about the wide-ranging powers given to its members. One Saudi columnist wrote that the religious police enjoyed immunity of any kind of accountability and that they have "have taken on the role of the policeman, judge and jury". The Saudi government has sought to play down the significance of the incidents. It is a difficult balancing act for the rulers of Saudi Arabia. The royal family derives its legitimacy from presenting itself as the upholder of Islamic Sharia. It would not like to be seen as undermining the power of the religious police, neither can it afford to alienate an angry public. The trial will be watched closely by supporters of the police as well as their critics. Its outcome will most likely affect the balance of power between the powerful religious establishment and those who want to see change in the conservative kingdom. | ||








