The banned books are Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic and Responsibility for the Failure of the Islamic State. I guess they are still considering Islam Unveiled and Onward Muslim Soldiers. And meanwhile, a book that says that it’s the responsibility of Muslims to wage war against Jews and Christians until they either become Muslim or pay the non-Muslim poll tax has not been banned by Al-Azhar; in fact, it has been endorsed by Al-Azhar. From AP, with thanks to Ali Dashti and Susan:
CAIRO (AP)–Egypt’s highest religious authority has ordered the banning and confiscation of two books written by U.S. and Egyptian authors on grounds they violated Islamic principles and harmed Islam’s image, a senior cleric and newspaper reports said Wednesday.
Al-Azhar University, considered by many to be the world’s leading Sunni Islam seat of learning, ordered the ban against the “Studies of Muslim Apocalyptic,” by U.S. writer David Cook, 37, and “Responsibility for the Failure of the Islamic State,” by Egyptian author Gamal al-Banna.
A senior member of Al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Academy, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Cook’s work was among a list of books reviewed and deemed as damaging to Islam’s image by a committee of 35 clerics. He refused to elaborate.
In May, the Justice Ministry gave Al-Azhar clerics power to search and seize books from Cairo streets after deeming that they don’t to conform with Islamic principles. But intellectuals and human rights advocates have launched campaigns against religious interference in freedom of speech here.