I am impressed with the efforts of the committee. Indeed, they tried their best, against strong opposition, to limit the reach of Shari’a in future legislation, but what will come down the line, in my estimation, will have the marks of ‘the Law of God’ stamped on all legislature where religion is an issue. Once you read Shari’a and fully understand its dicta, it becomes obvious that any challenge to its authority is unacceptable by any Muslim and moderate Muslims and Copts alike have no recourse to change this reality.
As a realist, I shall not go along with the euphoria pervading all sectors of the country. I shall continue to learn from history and today’s reality in countries governed by Shari’a like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hide your head in the sand if you wish but you must realize that you are exposing yourself to the darts of backward thinking, all the way back to the dark ages. We needn’t go that far afield. Just study the Salafists and other extreme Islamists and you will get a clear picture of what is in store for us if this constitution is ratified. According to the Salafists the elimination of article 219 does not weaken the authority of Shari’a. I am afraid they got this one right.
Let us get down to business, the business of resurrecting our country from the mire it is in. I don’t think that anyone with a few active neurons can come to another conclusion but that the course we are charting, starting with the framing of the constitution, will be fraught with insurmountable difficulties. One cannot look forward towards an enlightened, democratic Egypt when it is shackled with this burden around its neck.
An important question is ‘is this constitution etched in stone?’ The hopefuls will say no. It is subject to amendments. I have cautioned against this retrogressive thinking time and again. Why, in heaven’s name, submit a defective document to fix it later. This a blatant abrogation of the responsibility of the current leadership. This political game they are playing is bound to cost the country dearly. I submit that they should be called back to continue to work on this beleaguered constitution until it is acceptable in Egypt and worldwide.
How many times do they need to be reminded that, as it currently stands, this document relegates a significant portion of the populous, the Copts and other non-Muslim Egyptians to a second class status, a state of Dhimmitude? This draft is fractious to say the least. In fact, it is so divisive that regardless of whitewashing it, the changes of successful renaissance of the country is slim to none.
This might sound rather a tat too harsh to some however, neither I nor likeminded observers are on a demolition mission. We have a keen interest in the framing of a healthy constitution.
Once more I pray to God that I am wrong. May our Lord bless Egypt.
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Saba E. Demian, M.D.