IUMS warns destabilization in Egypt, calls opposition to adhere to democracy rules of change
All praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His messenger Mohammad, his family, companions and followers:
The International Union of Muslim Scholars was astonished to find media-circulated reports about the determination by a number of opposition entities in Egypt to assemble on June 30th in protests against the president, the government and the Muslim Brotherhood, to call for toppling the president, and organizing early elections. This situation would give an opportunity to thugs, to agents who are paid millions, and those promoting riot and sedition to join those revolutionaries and use Molotov, rubber bullets and fires to spread corruption in the lands after the start of reform. It also entails the killing of innocent people, the terrorization of secure civilians, exposing personal and public property to vandalism, blocking roads, standing in the way to people’s daily lives, and services in Egypt on June 30th with excuses of demanding Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi – may Allah protect him - to step down despite the fact that he came to power through legitimate elections that were followed by a referendum on the constitution which was again approved by two thirds of voters, another implied approval by the Egyptian people for his presidency.
The union finds it startling that some of the cultural elite, media people and politicians should be engrossed in this tendentious call when they were relied on to stand by the truth, support it, defend the core values of the nation, cling to the requirements of logic and reason and the rule of the ballot boxes.
The IUMS views the following:
1- The union finds this unfamiliar behavior odd, particularly as it comes from people who supposedly have sufficient awareness and knowledge, but at the same time thinks it unlikely that the reasonable, goodly and great youth of Egypt that toppled the tyrant in defense of freedom and dignity, and supported the election of Dr. Mohamed Morsi out of a desire to achieve justice, development, equality, and rebuild a great Egypt with its pioneer Arab, Islamic, regional and international status will respond to these calls.
The union holds the view that the efforts of the noble Egyptian people, especially the educated elite and its youth vanguard, must be mobilized to protect democratic gains, continue the efforts of political and institutional reform in the state, to skillfully formulate a plan for comprehensive, just, sustainable development, and secure to the Egyptian people – with all their constituents – the dignified life they deserve and that is appropriate to the historical and civilizational status of Egypt, and its anticipated role in the Arab, Islamic, and International scene.
The Egyptian people are well-capable of standing up to the promoters of sedition, that are preparing schemes to fragment its unity, hamper its development, and step on its democratic, constitutional gains.
Such a stance is in itself an act of repayment to the spirit of the martyrs and to their dignity, gratitude to the suffering of the wounded and victims, and recognition of the efforts of good people, the leaders of opinion, thought, and religion, and the heroes of military leadership that escorted the Egyptian people until they chose their leadership with a freewill for the first time in the long history of Egypt.
The Egyptian people have in their majority and at their freewill given President Morsi the right to rule them for four years according to the constitution. Hence, he has become among the people of authority "uli al-amr” that must be obeyed as the Quran states {O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you.} [Quran 4: 59] and so it becomes mandatory to obey him, and disobedience in the absence of apostasy or an apparent sin becomes prohibited.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported that Ibn Omar narrated that Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings be upon him – said that: "obedience is a duty upon a Muslim in matters that they love and hate, unless they are commanded to a sin. If they are commanded to a sin, there is no (duty of) obedience”.
And Mohamed Morsi and his government neither gave commands of apostasy nor sin. So it is the duty for the people to obey him.
2- As much as the union values the maturity of the great Egyptian people – with all its constituents – and their ability to face challenges, it calls the political opposition in particular to respect the rules of democracy, and the will of the Egyptian people, and to adhere to the legitimate and legal methods of struggle, away from manipulating the emotions of mobs, to avoid being the foundation for distractions around those who made it to positions responsibility through ballot boxes and free, transparent elections, what would threaten a scenario of tension, instability, and imbalance that – should it happen, God forbid – no one would salvaged from, not even those who are conjuring it in the present circumstances.
3- As the union issues this statement in support of constitutional legitimacy, and in defense of the stability of the Egyptian state, and freedom of its people to choose their rulers, it simultaneously calls the president-elect Mohamed Morsi to handle the situation wisely to protect public security, tranquility and peace, to defend the choice of the Egyptian people, and their constitutional, democratic gains away from unjust methods of overusing power, or taking insufficient measures to prevent sedition, but rather by practicing firmness without violence, and lenience without weakness, so the strife will not spread, and the promoters of corruption will not succeed in undermining the security of society, tampering with its peace and stability, and manipulating the path of the state, its public facilities, and infrastructure.
4- The union demands all Islamic, patriotic and philanthropic sides to stand by the will of the Egyptian people and their revolution and to stand against the remnants of the former regime, and the enemies of stability in Egypt, warns the division over the targets of the great Egyptian revolution as this conspiracy today is not against President Mohamed Morsi but is against the will of the Egyptian people in their central choice to believe in God, to commit to Islam as their point of reference, and to return to their pioneering and leading role.
May Allah protect the Egyptian people from every harm, and from every conflict that the winds carry!
May Allah guide President-elect Mohamed Morsi to the best interest of the people and the country!
May Allah protect the Egyptian public, and Egyptian elites from the harms of the promoters of sedition and corruption!
And may the honorable people of knowledge, opinion, and true call remain as protectors and guards for the country against every evil!
And peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, on his family and companions.
{Allah will certainly aid those who aid his cause; for verily Allah is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).}
Doha: 16 Shaaban, 1434 H
Dated: 25 June, 2013
Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
IUMS Secretary General IUMS President