“Tayeb’s visit to the cathedral to congratulate Christians on Easter is contrary to our religion because it means he acknowledges a doctrine that contradicts Islam,” he added.
Dr. Khalid Said, official spokesperson for the Salafist Front, noted that participating in celebrations and feasts that are contrary to the Islamic faith is prohibited.
On the other hand, Dr. Mahmoud Mehanna, a member of the authority of senior scholars at Al-Azhar, stated that Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood are ignorant. Moreover, they certainly don’t have a better grasp on religion than the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who allowed the Christians of Najran to be accepted into Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi.
According to Mehanna, the Islamists are carrying out a Zionist-American agenda and they are using the protocol of the Elders of Zion as their approach.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud, professor of Sharia at Al-Azhar, described Salafist jihadists as “Kharijites” (renegades).
Abdel Moneim el-Shahat, an official Salafi advocacy spokesperson, said, “Whoever congratulates Copts for Easter has definitely sinned; it is not permissible to congratulate Copts for their claims that Jesus was crucified.”
In a press release Shahat noted, “A few Islamic currents tend to be biased (towards) Copts against their beliefs, but Salafis will not be such hypocrites.”
Shahat called for Dr. Essam el-Erian, vice president of the Freedom and Justice Party to “Repent for his sin committed this morning, when he congratulated Copts on his official Facebook page.”
On the other hand, Dr. Abdel Rahman el-Barr, the Mufti of the Muslim Brotherhood and member of its Guidance Bureau, said “Congratulating Copts on their religious occasions is contrary to our religious beliefs.”
Barr stressed that congratulating Copts on Easter is not permissible according to Sharia law. He said it is permissible to congratulate Copts on public events, but it is forbidden on religious occasions.
“Why should we congratulate them on a religious ritual that Muslims have nothing to do with?” remarked the mufti to Youm-7 newspaper.
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Edited from: http://www.mcndirect.com/showsubject.aspx?id=45227,
http://www.mcndirect.com/showsubject.aspx?id=45213, http://www.mcndirect.com/showsubject.aspx?id=45211
