The al-Azhar Sheikh
authorizes suicide attacks carried out by women |
Wafa Idris’ suicide bombing, the first ever to be carried out by a woman in the Palestinian
territories, has given rise to religious controversy on whether women
are allowed to carry out suicide attacks.
Dr. Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the Egyptian al-Azhar Sheikh, is the most senior religious authority
of Sunni Islam. He
is also closely connected to the
Egyptian political establishment.
In a recent interview granted to the press, the al-Azhar Sheikh pronounced
himself on the issue of women’s
suicide acts, authorizing such acts
when performed in the framework of the Palestinian struggle. The Sheikh,
who until then had reservations about women carrying out suicide bombings,
has joined, at least for the time being, the lobby of non-official religious
rulers in favor of such acts.
The following are highlights from Sheikh Tantawi’s interview
granted to the Quds Press Agency on 27 December
2002, as reported by the London-based daily al-Quds al-Arabi:
The Sheikh even allowed women who engage in “suicide activities” (amaliyyat istish’hadiyyah) to make
concessions on their traditional attire [e.g. the compulsory veil], if such are needed to warrant the success
of the suicide bombing.
The Sheikh stated: “There is
no difference between male and female
when [it concerns] defending religion, homeland, self-respect, dignity
and property; no difference whatsoever.” He underscored the statement
by asking: “Does self-defense depend only on the males?” |
Sheikh Tantawi’s above statement contradicts his own call to stop the violence
and bloodshed in the Holy Land, pronounced in January 2002 at the Interfaith
Conference in Alexandria.
The Sheikh’ religious ruling authorizing terrorist acts by women deals
a fatal blow to the spirit of the Alexandria Conference resolutions
- following earlier blows already dealt to them
by the Sheikh’s repeated public statements in favor of suicide attacks
by Palestinians