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Politics : World Affairs Discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GUSTAVE JAEGER who wrote (2172)	10/2/2002 12:20:22 AM
From: lorne	Respond to of 3959

Egyptian clerics debate suicide bombings after U.S. pressure Tuesday, October 1, 2002 CAIRO — Egypt's state-employed clerics appear divided over whether to support suicide attacks against Israel and the West after official requests from the United States for changes in it curriculum. The debate is said to have raged within the Cairo-based Al Azhar seminary, Middle East Newsline reported. The seminary is supported by the state and is regarded as the leading Islamic theological institute in the Middle East. The United States has pressed Al Azhar to change its curriculum to end encouragement for violence in the name of Islam. Tantawi said his seminary has rejected this and refused U.S. diplomats and experts an opportunity to review and discuss the curriculum. Arab diplomatic sources said Al Azhar has been torn by vague instructions from the regime of President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi Arabia, which has allocated funds to numerous Egyptian mosques and clerics. Saudi clerics have ruled in favor of Islamic suicide attacks against Israelis. For its part, Egypt's government has maintained that it has not allowed the United States to change the curriculum of Al Azhar. Egyptian officials have told parliament that U.S. officials have been allowed to visit the state-sponsored seminary. Islamic sources said the leadership within Al Azhar has argued over whether to oppose Islamic suicide attacks against Israel and the United States. Another issue is whether the clerics should oppose efforts to boycott American and Israeli products in Egypt. Rival clerics have issued conflicting fatwas, or rulings, regarding the issue of suicide attacks and a boycott. Sheik Mohammed Sid Tantawi, head of the seminary, first expressed support for suicide attacks and then appeared to change his mind and stressed opposition to attacks on civilians. Ahmed Al Tib, a leading Islamic scholar and a philosophy instructor, has expressed concern over the lack of clear guidance from Al Azhar. Al Tib denied reports that he intended to resign amid rulings by Al Azhar in support of suicide attacks and an Islamic boycott of the United States. worldtribune.com