The dhimmis, or non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state, according to a manual of Islamic law endorsed by Al-Azhar University in Cairo as reflective of Sunni orthodoxy, "are obliged to comply with Islamic rules that pertain to the safety and indemnity of life, reputation, and property." Among these Islamic rules: they "are forbidden to build new churches" ('Umdat al-Salik o11.5).
"Building a Church is a 'Sin' Against God, Says Egyptian Muslim Council," by Mary Abdelmassih for AINA, August 31:
Cairo (AINA) -- A controversial Fatwa (Islamic edict) prohibiting the construction of new churches in Egypt has provoked considerable discussion and spiraled into a crisis, involving the Fatwa Council, Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh, Christian and Muslim religious personalities, and the media. It was also reported on 8/26/2009 that the jurists who issued the Fatwa are under investigation on orders of the Grand Mufti and the Justice Minister.The Fatwa (Arabic) in question was issued by the Al-Azhar affiliated "Dar el-Eftta" -- Fatwa Council for Islamic interpretations of laws in Islam. It stated "the will of a Muslim towards building a Church is a sin against God, just as if he left his inheritance towards building a nightclub, a gambling casino, or building a barn for rearing pigs, cats or dogs."
It was issued in response to an inquiry sent to the Fatwa Council by Dr. Naguib Gabraeel, President of the Egyptian Union Human Rights Organization (EUHRO), asking its opinion as to what he read in an article written by a prominent writer about what was stated in a textbook taught to third year students, Muslims and Christians, at the Faculty of Law, Cairo University, on Inheritance and execution of wills. Gabraeel's inquiry pertained specifically to a quotation from the textbook "it is forbidden for a person to donate money for what would lead to sin, such as donating in his will money towards build a church, a nightclub, a gambling casino, towards promoting the alcohol industry or for building a barn for rearing pigs, cats or dogs." He went on to inquire "So what is the Shari'a position to what was mentioned especially concerning the will of a Muslim to donate for the building of a church or a monk's cell? If the answer is prohibition, aren't these houses where the name of God is mentioned? Is not Christianity a recognized religion according to the Egyptian constitution? There are also a lot of wealthy Copts and Coptic businessmen who donate towards the building of mosques."
The Fatwa Council replied affirming the correctness of what came in the textbook and issued a Fatwa on September 10, 2008 (document number 1809), which is also published on its official website.
To highlight the reason for this "sin" the Fatwa went on to state: "Salvation in the Christian religion is the belief in Jesus as Lord, where Muslims fundamentally disagree on it. Muslims believe that Issa [Jesus in Arabic] peace be upon him, is a slave of Allah and His Messenger, and that Allah is one. He begets not and He is not begotten and there is none like unto Him. So if it is seen that one sect has deviated from this absolute Monotheism, then according to that person's own religion he is forbidden to donate for the erection of buildings where Allah is not worshiped alone."
According to Mohammed el-Maghrabbi, deputy chief of the Faculty of Law, and author of the controversial textbook, what he wrote is a principle agreed upon by all Islamic jurists. He added that a will, if devoted by a Christian for building a Church, is forbidden and sinful and is considered in Islam as separation from God. So it is also illegal if a non-Muslim wills his inheritance towards building a Church or a Synagogue.
This Fatwa has shocked many as it classified churches with nightclub, gambling casinos, and places for rearing pigs and dogs, which are considered 'unclean' animals according to Islam and Muslims.
Christians were angered and considered it a clear and explicit insult to all Christians. The renowned theologian Reverend Abdelmassih Bassit, Professor at the Coptic Orthodox Clerical Institute, called it "a shocking Fatwa."
Gabraeel called on the government and Al-Azhar to state their position clearly on the building of churches, as well as prayer meetings held in premises even if they were 'unlicensed' as churches.
On August 19, 2009, a delegation from EUHRO, headed by Dr. Gabraeel, paid a visit to Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, who said that the Fatwa was wrong and untrue and that Muslims can make voluntary contributions to build churches, as a church is a house for "worshiping and tolerance" and that "Shari'a does not prevent Muslims from donating to the building of a church, as it is his free money. He also affirmed that Al-Azhar does not object to the "unified law for building places of worship."
Tantawi added that building churches should be left to the Christians and Muslims are not allowed according to Shari'a to interfere in other faiths, "because religion, faith and what a person believes in is a relationship between him and his God." He also called on the Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa to hold the five jurists who issued the Fatwa accountable.
Reactions to Tantawi's statements resulted in a crisis in the Islamic circles. Most Muslim leaders criticized him publicly and supported the Fatwa "as being issued by people qualified in Islamic Shari'a law" or "a Muslim should not donate to the building of a church when Christians do not believe in the religion of Mohammed, or him being a prophet."
Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa gave the excuse that he never ratified the Fatwa. Nevertheless, his answer was not convincing as it was an official Fatwa issued by the authority headed by him, stamped and signed by five of the Council's jurists. He failed to give an opinion about it.
Less than 24 hours after the EUHRO visit, Grand Sheikh Tantawi backtracked on his statements saying it was a misunderstanding on the part of the EUHRO delegation and the newspapers. He commented that what he meant was for non-Muslims to donate in their wills for church building and reaffirmed that it is forbidden for a person to donate money for the construction of "sinful" places, such as bars and nightclubs....
"The renowned theologian Reverend Abdelmassih Bassit, Professor at the Coptic Orthodox Clerical Institute, called it "a shocking Fatwa."
I call it a declaration of war...
Of course, what the Muslims simply don't 'get' is that although Christians - and, for that matter, Jews - are very happy to have custom-built places of worship, and delight to build beautiful churches and cathedrals (christians) or synagogues (Jews) what matters to them is the personal relationship with the Holy One. And for that, a building is not necessary.
Deprived of Hagia Sophia, the Orthodox church, and the rest of Christendom, survived and grew. Deprived of the Temple Mount, the Jewish people survived and grew.
Wherever His people are, there He is, also. "I will be where I will be". All that church - ekklesia - means is 'gathering'. 'synagogue' has a similar meaning. It's the *people* not the building.
Jesus said 'wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them'.
Silly Muslims, to think that by stopping Christians from having a building labelled 'church' (or, for that matter, by stopping Jews from having a building called 'synagogue') they are going to keep YHWH out of 'their' (Muslims') territory, or prevent him from meeting with His people, and being with them!
Shine a light on it. Islam sure does have a hard time justifying itself and its rulings with modern communications shining a light on what they say. Everybody can read or hear it and, more importantly, question it and comment on it. Those guys are tripping all over themselves and pointing fingers as to who was responsible. They are like Mo, Larry, and Curly.
Assyrian International News Agency.......Good for you guys, but too bad for us because these items and EVERYTHING else like them never sees the light of day in the Western MSM. The devil is a real mofo and knows just exactly what to do to keep the dummy public in the dark.
Did I say devil? I meant allah.
Blood for the blood god.
"The Christians are building a church?! Let's kill them and rape their women!"
Blood for the blood god.
Islam is a one trick pony. It's only message is hate and mistrust of the "other".
One day, Islam's house of lies will be exposed to the entire world and once that happens it will all come crumbling down. Either muslims will grow a spine and actually read what their "holy" book teaches and shed themselves from the slavery of it on a mass scale, or the rest of the world will be forced to deal with the problem once and for all simply because they won't stop trying to force their stupid, backward beliefs on the rest of the non muslim world.
Egyptian Muslim Council: Building a church is a sin against Allah
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This may indeed seem a "shocking fatwa"--to civilized people. But it is entirely orthodox--straight from the 7th-century Pact of Umar, which governs the status of the dhimmi (subject non-Muslim) population:
"We shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks' cells, nor shall we repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims."
more:
There are also a lot of wealthy Copts and Coptic businessmen who donate towards the building of mosques.
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There is no quid pro quo in Islam. That non-Muslims fund mosques--out of a sense of charity, or to curry favor--in no way urges Muslims to do likewise.
Not only would Muslims never donate money to the building or repair of churches, they will not even allow Christians or others to do so.
Until Christians realize -- officially -- that Satan is in charge of Islam, they will continue to limp along in a world in which they think Satan is only figuratively present. After 1400 years, you'd think Christians would get it!
Now I would like to know just what BO's special Muslim outreach department is going to say about this. Probably nothing, since they don't want to encourage "negative stereotypes" about Islam here in the USA. After all they have a huge campaign going on right now promoting Ramadan.
Robert, there is quite a vitriolic debate just now at HP concerning Albanian righteous gentiles:
http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/08/30/albanian-muslims-who-rescued-jews
You may be interested in commenting, as may be others such as Gorin or Bostom or Geller.
Again we find that Christians minorities cannot expect the same tolerance that Muslim minorities demand. As has been noted numerous times, Western Christians jump through the ring of fire to accommodate the Muslims, yet those same Muslims cannot even allow ancient Christian communities to build a new church or repair old ones. Muslims only preach tolerance when they want it for themselves. They rarely show it to others.
Of course is building a church or a synagogue a sin aganist Allah, the moon god. Jews and Christians worship G*d, whereas Mohammedans worship Allah, the moon juggernaut who gave all these nice, convenient revelations to the self-proclaimed prophet.
"There are also a lot of wealthy Copts and Coptic businessmen who donate towards the building of mosques."
So sad, jizya on steroids.
Islam itself is a "clear insult to Christians", and all humanity.
Admitting this is the first step toward a rational response to Mohammadism's irrationalism.
if this action and others like it were published in our newspapers, church and synagogue bulletins, read on National news stations. maybe, just maybe, we who are deemed infidels would start to put a stop to the stealth Jihad of out-migration and colonization. The state of Israel and the Jews are the canary in the mine shaft. We, the infidels need to band together and stop them before they overtake us.