Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 28-09-2016
The Egyptian embassy has confirmed to Radio Islam that the intended visit of the delegation of the Fatwa General Secretariat Worldwide headed by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawqi Allam has been called off.
Dr Allam was supposed to have arrived in the country next month.
In a statement the Egyptian embassy says the delegation was indented to include many senior Muslim leaders (Muftis) representing the whole Muslim world which included Palestine, Chad, Senegal and others.
The Embassy says it approached the main South African theologian organizations to find out whether or not the tentative time schedule (3-5 October 2016) proposed by the General Secretariat of Fatwaa Houses worldwide was convenient to visit South Africa.
“The main motive of the visit of the African countries, including South Africa was to support the efforts of the African theologian organizations envisaging rectifying wrong Fatwas (religious rulings) and spreading out the real moderate values of Islam.”
The embassy says that due to time inconvenience as well as unforeseen commitments for some of the delegation members, the decision was taken to postpone the whole intended African trip, including South Africa, until further notice.
“I would like to seize this opportunity to reiterate that AlAzhar ElSherif will save no effort to cooperate with the various South African theologian organizations in a way that could better serve the supreme interests of Islam and the Muslim Community in South Africa.”
Earlier this month the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa (JUSA) echoed the sentiments of other Ulama bodies announcing it would not to welcome the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawqi Allam, during his scheduled visit to the country.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Secretary General of Jamiatul Ulama South Africa Moulana Ebrahim Bham cited ‘the role of the Mufti in the political persecutions of the current regime in Egypt’, as the reason why the Ulama body has taken the decision.
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