Raymond Ibrahim: Egypt's Latest Fatwas from Salafis and Brotherhood

The following by Raymond Ibrahim is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

Egypt's Latest Fatwas from Salafis and Brotherhood

by Raymond Ibrahim
Gatestone Institute
November 27, 2013
http://www.meforum.org/3684/egypt-salafi-fatwas

Raymond Ibrahim

As the full ramification of the Muslim Brotherhood's year in power continues to be exposed, a new study by Al Azhar's Fatwa Committee dedicated to exploring the fatwas, or Islamic decrees, issued by the Brotherhood and Salafis -- the Islamists -- was recently published.

Al Azhar, in Cairo, is considered by many to be one of the oldest and most prestigious Islamic universities in the world. The study, written by Al Azhar's Dr. Sayed Zayed, and entitled (in translation), "The Misguided Fatwas of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis," reveals a great deal about how Islamists view women.

The Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm summarized some of the Al Azhar study's main findings and assertions on November 15 in a article entitled (in translation), "Muslim Brotherhood fatwas: A woman swimming is an 'adulteress' and touching bananas is 'forbidden.'"

Salafis in Gaza Challenging Their Enemies in Israel -- And Hamas

The following by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is reposted here with permission of The Middle East Forum:

Majlis Shura al-Mujahidin: Between Israel and Hamas

by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Jihadology
May 6, 2013

http://www.meforum.org/3500/majlis-shura-al-mujahidin-gaza

In recent weeks and months there has been a cacophony of Salafi protest that has swept Gaza against the ruling Hamas government related to treatment of prisoners, corruption, and ability to practice Islam as they see fit. One of the groups speaking out has been Majlis Shura al-Mujahidin fi Aknaf Bayt al-Maqdis, a jihadi organization that is sympathetic to al-Qaeda's worldview. By glomming onto a mainstream Salafi cause, MSM is attempting to co-opt individuals to gain a stronger footing within Gaza to challenge Hamas (albeit only at the political and not military level yet), whom they view as an enemy similar, though, on a lesser level than Israel.