Saudi religious scholars accuse Egyptian Salafist Al-Nour party of obstructing sharia

A group of 34 prominent religious scholars in Saudi Arabia affiliated to the Salafist movement issued a statement on Sunday condemning the position of the Salafist Al-Nour party in Egypt regarding the current political situation.

“The position of [Al-Nour] party has caused damage to the interests of Islam and Muslims inside and outside Egypt. Its position contradicts the order of unity and adherence for Muslims, as well as contradicts the order for cooperation on righteousness and devotion,” the statement said.

The scholars criticised the party’s position for supporting and standing with the different secularist forces, “despite their clear hostility to Islam and Muslims”.

Al-Nour supported General Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi and the 3 July coup that deposed Egypt’s first democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi.

According to the scholars, the serious mistake of Al-Nour party was its support for the coup and its consequences, which have disabled the sharia rulings, and the party’s contribution to marketing the new Constitution in the name of Islam.

The scholars reiterated their support for what most of the Muslim scholars and preachers have agreed on regarding opposing the coup leaders, including the call for boycotting the new Constitution by not taking part in the planned referendum, or even voting no.

“Taking part in the referendum means recognising the coup authority, which has committed huge massacres, arrested the good and undermined Islam during its short life,” the statement said.

The statement’s most well-known signatories include: Sheikh Abdullah bin-Mohamed Al-Ghoniman, Sheikh Sa’ed bin-Abdullah Al-Hameed, Sheikh Ali bin-Said Al-Ghamidi, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah, Sheikh Othman Al-Atheem, Sheikh Abdul-Azeez Mohamed Abdul-Latif and Sheikh Abdullah bin-Nasser Al-Sobaih.

SOURCE: ElShaab