In response to the Al-Azhar statement, Egyptian journalist and Free Egyptians Party member Muhammad Zaki Al-Shimi attacked the institute's double standard, in a July 12, 2015 article in the new Egyptian daily Al-Maqal, which is owned by journalist Ibrahim 'Issa. He argued that while Al-Azhar defines same-sex marriage as "a crime against humanity," it not only downplays the crimes of the Islamic State (ISIS) and considers them errors or deviations from the straight path, but also supports child marriage, trading in slaves, and the capture of married women.
Below is the Al-Azhar statement, followed by excerpts from Al-Shimi's response:
Al-Azhar: Marriage In Islam Is Male-Female, And In Accordance With Shari'a Law; Same-Sex Marriage Is A Crime Against Humanity
The Al-Azhar statement on its Facebook page read:
"Al-Azhar condemns the calls to legalize sexual deviancy, and stresses the following:
"- These dubious calls actualize a satanic plan to destroy the system of human morals and values. Marriage in Islam is strictly between a male and a female, and in accordance with shari'a law. Al-Azhar is monitoring this propaganda, which is directed by global forces and organizations that use all ways and means, including media, conferences, recruitment of celebrities, and more, in order to spread the permissibility of sexual deviancy and to strive for its legalization.
"- Al-Azhar condemns this immoral campaign, which is conducted as part of feverish efforts by questionable elements to carry out a satanic plan to destroy the system of human morals and values shared by all faiths and [religious] schools of thought because they are in line with proper human nature, according to which Allah created man.
"- Al-Azhar stresses that this sexual deviancy and this moral breakdown do not constitute a victory for human rights, but contradict the honor that Allah gave to [man] by preferring him above all His creations, and [also] constitute humanity's degeneration into the depths of obscenity. This is undoubtedly a crime against humanity and a clear violation of human rights and freedoms.
"- Al-Azhar opposes all [such]deplorable attempts at invasion of the Islamic countries by means of calls for sexual deviancy under the headline of 'same-sex marriage,' after it was legalized in some countries and after it received the approval of the leaders of some faiths and sects. [Al-Azhar] stresses its opposition to calling such deviancy marriage, because marriage in Islam is solely between a male and a female, in accordance with the laws of shari'a, which have set out principles and conditions on this matter that must be strictly adhered to. [The shari'a] has banned all sinful relations outside of shari'a marriage, in order to protect humanity from degeneration to the depths of obscenity, and from degradation and the breakdown of society and the family unit."
Muhammad Zaki Al-Shimi: Al-Azhar Does Not Recognize Freedom Of Religion, But Speaks Of Human Rights
In a response to the statement, Muhammad Zaki Al-Shimi, a member of the Free Egyptians Party, attacked Al-Azhar in the Egyptian daily Al-Maqal, writing: "Last Thursday, Al-Azhar issued a statement expressing its opposition to same-sex marriage. This is essentially a predictable and routine move by any conservative religious organ, but it was surprising in its timing – two weeks after same-sex marriage was legalized throughout the U.S.
__________________
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/8668.htm