Mehmet Gormez, the former head of the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs calls on the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar and the Mufti of Egypt to intervene for intervening to stop implementation of the recent death sentences in Egypt
Former head of Turkish religious affairs Mehmet Gormez has sent a message to Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, and Mufti of Egypt Dr. Shawki Allam, calling on them to practice their influence on decision-makers in Cairo to reverse the implementation of the recent death sentences issued against 12 Egyptian people, including prominent leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.
In an audio visual message through a video clip on Saturday evening, Gormez addressed Allam, saying: “Whoever signs fatwas for approving such death sentences – I say this as an advising brother – will be remembered in history as a mufti of blood and fire, and I hope you will do anything like that,” Gormez said.
Gormez added: “We have been concerned about the news circulated that twelve Egyptian scholars have been sentenced to death, after a long period of trial and custody, due to the political differences that have occurred in Egypt since 2013.”
Gormez explained that carrying out these executions “will harm the entire Islamic nation at the level of politics and religion, escalate the rift and widen the breach among various components of the Egyptian people,” he said.
He added: “You both know – his eminence the grand imam and his eminence the grand mufti – the sanctity of the blood of Muslims, and above that the sanctity of the blood of scholars, and we know about and appreciate the political conditions that dear Egypt is going through, but these difficult circumstances may be a good reason to end every internal strife that attempts to undermine societal security, and is trying to drag society in the yoke of civil unrest.
Gormez affirmed that “sentencing these scholars to death because of political pressure or political circumstances starkly contrasts, as you know, with Islamic principles calling for the sanctity of the human soul, respect for thought and freedom, and urging fairness and justice even in the case of political rivalry.”
He continued: “We call in particular on the Grand Mufti, where the execution papers are handed over to him for review, to seek to prevent the bloodshed of Muslims with all his power and influence. The Muslim nation will not forget the efforts of everyone who stands by the truth, staves off sedition from the Muslim peoples, and does his best to bring the Muslims together,” he said.
Gormez said: “The honorable Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and the eminent Mufti, according to the Islamic belief, a mufti is the successor of the Prophet, may peace be upon him, in performing the function of dawah, and the Mufti signs on fatwas for God Almighty’s sake, not for a government, authority, or any political party …”
The former head of Turkish religious affairs concluded his message by saying: “The eminent Mufti, “Whoever signs fatwas for approving such death sentences – I say this as an advising brother – will be remembered in history as a mufti of blood and fire, and I wish you will do anything like that, and I hope that will be remembered as a man of peace and conciliation and spare Muslims’ blood.”
