Egypt's Chief Justice Sponsors Injustice Again
Today in Egypt's Al-Ahrar newspaper, an article was published describing a ruling by Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court of the State's Council [Magless el-Dawlah] headed by Chief Justice El-Saied Nofal. The article is entitled "Firing any employee who believes in Baha'i-yah and considering him apostate from Islam" and begins by stating the following:"the court headed by Justice El-Saied Nofal has produced an historical judicial principle by ruling unanimously the necessity of firing any employee from his work who happens to belong to the Baha'i thought and to consider him an apostate and a heretic. The court affirmed in its ruling the firing of a female employee of the Ministry of Education who belongs to the Baha'i Faith...that the Baha'i belief is a heresy which violates all recognized divine religions and that it does not agree with any religion; that it (Baha'i) came to being in order to destroy Islam and that any person who believes in it is a "heretic;" if he was a Muslim and adopted it then he is an apostate who deserves punishment, the least of which--if he was an employee--is his immediate dismissal from his work, because this destructive religion which permits the forbidden and forbids the permitted and denies the presence of God and makes of Him a human being and permits the forbidden adultery and promotes impudence of women [etc, etc....]"
The article continues with the usual misrepresentations that have been released by the same court in its other rulings and statements, including that it [Baha'i] is a Zionist conspiracy intended to annihilate Islam. In saying so, it used these words: "universal Zionism is seeking to penetrate Islam and destroying it from within using its own sons." It repeated many other misrepresentations that have been widely spread by Egypt's extremists, including its Supreme Administrative Court.Sadly, the only conclusions one can come up with after reading this article and the court's statements it contains is that Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court has not ruled justly according to the standards entrusted to it by the people of Egypt. None of its statements have any foundation in truth and may promote ignorance and induce public strife.
Those who seek the truth are encouraged to simply go to any of the official Baha'i sites linked in the sidebar of this blog (English & Arabic) to see for themselves what the Baha'i Faith is all about....
P.S. In this publication, Al-Ahrar newspaper referred to a case that was ruled on in 1987 without stating so in its article, thus deceiving its readers by making it appear as if this case just happened. One would question the motives behind such an inflammatory article and the tactics used by a newspaper known for its low circulation. The seriousness of the statements made in this article appear to have the intention of fomenting hatred and suspicion, thus deserving a response.
This El-Saied Nofal seems a poor mix of Torquemada and Goebbels.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Egypt is going back to the dark ages!
How afraid, how insecure in one’s religion one must be in order to come up with such rulings? Indeed only those who are not sure about their faith have such qualms about it being one day “destroyed” by another belief and only then do they need to spread lies about another faith so no one is tempted to find out more about it. Punishing the believers of the “other” faith is also the weapon of the weak: if I am afraid my behavior is not exemplary enough to keep my flock together, I have to deter it from looking too closely into it and maybe finding better somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteEgyptian people are inquisitive and generous, they will not be duped for very long by such rhetoric. Many have started asking questions and want to investigate for themselves what they perceive to be an injustice toward their fellow citizens. They sense, justly so, that there is room in their country for many beliefs that will not threaten their own but simply enrich their lives and be one more subject of conversation between good friends over a game of backgammon and a cup of Arabic coffee.
Those who prefer to be ruled without questions eventually become a minority and are all what’s left for the rulers to control.
Claudine,
ReplyDeleteWhen Frederick the Great of Prussia introduced potatoes to his land to help feed his nation, his people became prejudiced against the plant because potatoes looked ugly and had no taste. He decided then to post guards at night around the potato fields to make them think that the crop should not be accessed by them and that it was worth something. Consequently, the potato plants were stolen by the curious masses and became a popular food item.... Although, this was intended as an inducement with a strategy of reverse psychology, it still demonstrates that what is worth guarding becomes worth stealing!
Marco,
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting mix! As you say, a poor one though.... As history has shown us, this is one of the signs of the state of disintegration which, ultimately, will be followed by integration.
I am outraged, appalled, and incensed by the flagrant lies this judge promotes in the name of justice. It is one thing to rule and it is another to create falsehoods. This judge is not worthy of his position, and Egypt deserves better. The Egyptian people should seek the original writings of the Baha'i Faith rather than accept fabricated lies from a prejudiced judge. Muslims and Christians would not want their Faith to be misrepresented by an enemy of their Faith. Baha'is call on everyone to examine the purity of their teachings and the absurdity of this judicial fabrication. Eventually people will find out the Truth, and then they will lament the falsehoods heaped upon this innocent minority of Egyptian citizens, and will beat their chests for allowing these atrocities to take place in their own country while they were silent. This is a call to Egyptians to seek the truth about the Baha'i Faith. This is the only way to combat tyranny, injustice, and sheer lies!
ReplyDeleteThe Prophet Mohamed,PBUH, called an uninformed enemy of Islam Abu Gahl (Father of Ignorance). Being a Muslim in name but swimming in a sea of ignorance and drowning a whole nation along with him in that sea of ignorance does not immunize Mr. Nofal from befitting this great title.
ReplyDeleteMr. Nofal, be fair in your utterance. And be fair in your judgement. Do not pretend to posses knowledge about a subject on which you possess none. Islam requires al-taqwa (purity) and there is nothing pure about fabricating lies and false accusations especially by a judge of an esteemed court. Future generations will judge you as they have judged Abu Gahl,Hitler, Stalin, Mousolini, and other hate mongers!
I feel sad to read this story. I wonder what could have happen to Bahais in Islamic countries if there was no internet. We'll not gain access to some of this stories.Curious Egyptians will use the internet to find the truth for theselves. These ignorant souls are unable to prevent the message of Baha'u'llah diffusing into the world with the electronic age.
ReplyDeleteMy answer to this article is from the Holy Quran Surat At-Tauba (The Repentance)(9:32):
ReplyDeleteيريدون أن يطفؤوانوراللهِ بأفواههمْ ويأبى اللهُ إلا أَن يتمَّ نورَهُ وَلوْ كرِهَ الكافرونَ
Here is the meaning of it in English:
"Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdaineth (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse."
(The Qur'an (Pickthall tr), Sura 9:32 - Repentance)
The Muslims should remember this verse of the Quran.
Jews and Christians for many centuries tried their best to fabricate stories against Isalm but failed to extinguish it. The same verse is applicable to Muslims in relation to the Bahai Faith. For 162 year since its inceptions the scholars of Islam tried to fabricate stories inorder to block the growth of this new Faith but they failed too. The more they blow the air against the fire of the Faith of God the fire will increase and cause its light to increase.
To Chief Justice El-Saied Nofal and associates:
ReplyDeleteBetter men have tried and failed, and your actions are predictable and childish. Do not doubt that to those who are less than keen-sighted and wise, regardless of religious affiliation, your play and manipulation of the ignorant and fanatical are becoming monotonous and overplayed. As Egyptians, there can be no worse shame than to be associated with the likes of your kind; a disgrace to your country, your profession, and everything that a civilized humanity represents.
If you doubt the impending consequences of your actions, look to those who came before you; those who employed the exact tools of falsification against the Prophets of the past and Their emerging communities, and who’s punishment is paid out through generations.
If you wish to promote and protect Islam, then do so with the due justice its precepts demand. If you wish to execute your capacities as a judge, then have the integrity and honor of doing so in accordance with due process of the law. If you have demonstrated your inability to do neither, then there is no doubt that your incompetence and deceitfulness is being extended to the entire judicial practice of the country. Are you remotely aware of the damage you have done to your country, and to the number and capacity of people in the world community who are observing, daily, your absurd actions of tyranny and corruption?
"9. O SON OF BEING!
ReplyDeleteMy love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish."
I think this an appropriate reading to concentrate on.
Edo River rising
excuse me??? did I just wake up from a bad dream and now Egypt is in the Year 1450AD and the Egyptiam
ReplyDeleteSupreme Court is headed by Niccolò Machiavelli????
and other psychopaths????
Dear commentators,
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed upsetting to read such remarks made by supposedly respected leaders of the Egyptian society. In fact, there are plenty more of these being published in the Egyptian media on a daily basis. It looks like an organized campaign of defamation, and is clearly intended to arouse the public and induce sectarian strife and unrest. Just today, another article quoted the Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowment) attacking the Baha'is with the same rhetoric and who is calling for their extermination according to Islamic law.
Being outraged is both natural and noble, but also not enough. This energy should be channeled into positive action such as informing those we know (friends, neighbors, family and coworkers) of the truth about the Baha’i Faith and correcting the misinformation using suitable means of communication available to us. I know, of course, that this would be done while exercising wisdom and moderation.
The web is another example of the various effective means of communication and sharing, which when used appropriately and wisely can help refute the misinformation put out by some of the misguided Egyptian media.
We need to realize that this campaign against the Baha’i Faith betrays a great deal of insecurity on the part of the attackers, who do not even have the presence of mind to attempt to make their lies believable! Fortunately with the ease of acquiring information nowadays, they cannot pull the wool over the eyes of their public any longer....
Dear Bilo
ReplyDeleteI posted a reply to the minister of Religious Endowment on my blog. The announcement published in an Egyptian daily newspaper was outrageous and irresponsible with clear accusations to the Baha'is of betrayal, a crime punishable by the death penalty in Egypt. It was also full of hostility towards the Baha'is of Egypt. I wish I could re-write it in English.
I am a Bahai from a Christain background. Can someone verse with Islam tell me what it means by saying that ALL children when born are muslems by default? Do children have a faith when they are born?
ReplyDeleteNarrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet was asked about the offspring of
pagans (Mushrakeen); so he said, "Allah knows
what sort of deeds they would have done."
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 467:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Every child is born with a true
faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah
Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or
Christianity or Magianism, as an animal delivers a
perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?"
Egyptian Baha'i,
ReplyDeleteI intend to publish a summary of it in English. Can you help with this?
r.a. said...
ReplyDelete"To Chief Justice El-Saied Nofal and associates: Better men have tried and failed,"
Indeed many bigger men did, and to see a sample of what they accomplished, kindly visit this link. Thanks.
Muhannad
To Anonymous (about children being born Muslim):
ReplyDeleteThe Arabic word in the Hadith you mention is "FITRA" which means the natural, unaltered state at birth, so in a way, the Hadith means that children are born like an empty clean page without any of the religions, and it's their parents who end up raising them to become followers of one of the religions.
Muhannad
Muhannad,
ReplyDelete"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
--George Santayana