‘Muslims can choose own religion’- A tapdancing Mufti Goma schmoozes the ABC

 ‘Everyone is free to chose his religion’-

As long as its Islamic, of course!

* Obviously another PR stunt by ‘Egypt’s official religious adviser’- the Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, who is, like all good Muslims, concerned about ‘the image of Islam’- as if it could get any worse. But you got to hand it to them: Muslims are rather persistent to pull the wool over infidel eyes and ears. Meanwhile, the Christian Copts, the remaining 8 to 1o million of the original inhabitants of Egypt, are living in fear of violent reprisals (‘Backlash’ yours truly) and are discriminated as dhimmi’s, subjected to ‘protected peoples’ status and forced to pay the ‘jiziyah.’

Fatwa’s:

Should ancient statues be destroyed or preserved? Should women be allowed to drive, to work, to travel without permission of men? Can boys and girls attend school together? Is it permissible to buy insurance, to wear a sports jersey with a cross design, to shake hands with a non-Muslim, to take pictures, to view family photographs? All of this has been addressed in fatwas. Recently we had some hilariously stupid fatwa’s, like the breastfeeding fatwa and the urine fatwa. There have also been fatwa’s about female genital mutilation which is practised by about 97% of Egypt’s population. But how many hundred years before such a ‘culture’ can change?

From ABC:

Egypt’s official religious advisor has ruled that Muslims are free to change their faith as it is a matter between an individual and God, in a move which could have far-reaching implications for the country’s Christians.

“The essential question before us is can a person who is Muslim choose a religion other than Islam? The answer is yes, they can,” Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa said in a posting on a Washington Post-Newsweek forum picked up by the Egyptian press.

* Sure, they can. But they will end up in jail or dead. Usually both….

“The act of abandoning one’s religion is a sin punishable by God on the Day of Judgement. If the case in question is one of merely rejecting faith, then there is no worldly punishment,” he wrote.

In most Muslim countries, Muslims who convert to another religion are considered apostates and can be subject to capital punishment.

Mr Gomaa warned however that if the conversions undermine the “foundations of society” then it must be dealt with by the judicial system, without elaborating.

* Got it. People have a right to chose Islam. If they chose another religion it ‘undermines the foundations of society’- which means Islamic law applies and that means capital punishment. Why didn’t you say so, Ali?

Attempts by Muslims in Egypt to convert to other religions have been hindered by the state’s refusal to recognise the change in official documents and in some cases have led to arrests and imprisonment.

*

Update:

Egypt’s top cleric denies saying that Muslims could leave Islam without punishment

‘War is Deception’- said Muhammad, and Muhammedans are in a state of permanent warfare against unbelievers and Jooozzz 1400 for years. Ali Gomaa seems to take the instructions of his prophet rather seriously. In his effort to deceive the infidels he forgot about the inevitable ‘backlash’ from his fellow Muslims, who worry about Ali being a ‘misunderstander of Islam’- of which there are many:

Ali Gomaa, the statue-hatin’, wife-beatin’, Hizballah-supportin’, Muhammad’s-urine-drinkin’ Mufti of Egypt, whom Dinesh D’Souza has praised as a “traditional Muslim” with whom American conservatives should cultivate an alliance, got some people’s hopes up by apparently denying the Islamic law mandating death for apostasy, which comes from Muhammad himself. But actually the misunderstanding comes from “secularists” who want to “distort the image” of the Mufti, who affirms the traditional teaching.

“Top cleric denies ‘freedom to choose religion’ comment,” by Ramadan Al Sherbini for GulfNews

(thanks to Dhimmi Watch)

Cairo: Egypt’s top cleric yesterday denied in a statement that he had said a Muslim can give up his faith without punishment.
Ali Goma’a, the mufti of Egypt, was quoted as saying in a posting on a Washington Post-Newsweek forum that Muslims are free to change their faith and this is a matter between an individual and God.

“What I actually said is that Islam prohibits a Muslim from changing his religion and that apostasy is a crime, which must be punished,” Goma’a said.

* There you go. Why didn’t you say so in the first place, Ali?
The alleged fatwa coincides with an uproar over the case of 12 Egyptians who converted to Islam from Christianity and now want to re-embrace Christianity.

“There is a campaign by secularists to distort the image of Dr Ali Goma’a,” a senior official in Al Azhar told Gulf News.

* Right. ‘Secularists distort the image of Dr Ali Goma’- when pointing out that he lies and denies and pulls the wool over infidel eyes and ears.

“He cannot deny punishment in this life for the apostate,” said Mustafa Al Chaka of the Islamic Research Centre.

*

A final take from Dhimmi Watch 

Egypt’s Mufti affirms religious freedom, sort of
First he said it — or at least seemed to say it: Muslims could leave Islam without fear of incurring a death sentence. Then he didn’t say it.

Actually, Ali Gomaa’s position has been consistent throughout this mini-imbroglio. He says the apostate should be killed not because he has left Islam, but because he is a threat to society. In his original statement that many understood as calling for an end to the death penalty for apostasy, he says: “If the case in question is one of merely rejecting faith, then there is no worldly punishment. If, however, the crime of undermining the foundations of the society is added to the sin of apostasy, then the case must be referred to a judicial system whose role is to protect the integrity of the society….” Now he says, “I discussed the fact that throughout history, the worldly punishment for apostasy in Islam has been applied only to those who, in addition to their apostasy, actively engaged in the subversion of society.”

In an Islamic society, of course, any apostate could be seen as “actively engaged in the subversion of society,” since he would no longer be following Sharia which is that society’s highest law, so this is no guarantee of religious freedom at all. But one could argue — although the Mufti himself is not necessarily arguing — that this should mean that apostates from Islam who live in non-Muslim countries should be left alone. When we see the Mufti issuing proclamations to the effect that Islamic apostates in Virginia need not hire armed guards for their convention, we may be getting somewhere.

“Egypt mufti reaffirms Muslim freedom of faith choice,” from Middle East Times

* The tapdancing Mufti Goma lies and denies and finds himself constricted by his own bullshit: 

CAIRO — Egypt’s top religious advisor, Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, reaffirmed his belief Thursday that Muslims could choose their own religion after the local press carried apparently conflicting statements.
Gomaa maintained that while it would be a “grave sin” for Muslims to commit apostasy and convert to another religion, worldly punishment should only be meted out if their actions endangered society.

In many Muslim societies, there is a long-held view – not necessarily supported by scripture – that the punishment for apostasy is death.

“Not necessarily supported by scripture” is good. Some see Qur’an 4:89 as mandating death for apostasy: “They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks.” But not all Muslim theologians accept this as calling for death for the apostates, so it is “not necessarily supported by scripture.” Then there is Muhammad’s famous statement: “If anyone discards his religion, kill him.”