CAIRO: Some 100 Islamic scholars, mostly from Saudi Arabia, signed an official document, in which they condemned “some Arab countries for closing the Rafah border crossing, accusing them of being “infidels.
The statement also condemned handing over the border to “Jewish or international forces that are supporting the Jewish state describing this as un-Islamic.
“The closure of the Rafah boarder crossing preventing food and medical supplies from reaching the citizens of Gaza is a form of collaboration with the Israeli enemy, the statement read.
It further condemned the media, NGOs and any person who supports the “Jews for their war on Gaza, “the warriors fighting for God.
Among the most popular scholars who signed the statement are Sheikhs: Abdullah Ibn Hamoud Al-Nourougy, Ali Kora Daghi, Wagdi Ghoneim, Gamal Al-Marakby, Mohamed Karim Rageh and Mohamed Ahmed.
Sheikh Ali Abdel Baqi, secretary general of the Islamic Research Center in Egypt, quoted a hadith in which Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) explains that “no Muslim has the right to accuse another fellow Muslim of being an infidel or doubt his religious beliefs. And if a Muslim wrongfully accuses a fellow Muslim of infidelity, the accusation turns on him and he is the one who becomes an infidel, he told Daily News Egypt.
“This is the Sharia ruling in this matter and no one can argue against it, he added.
Abdel Baqi further said that the statement by the 100 scholars is invalid as it did not come from any “legal or governmental religious institution in Saudi Arabia.
“I do not know what the Arab and Islamic world wants Egypt to do? Why is Egypt the only Islamic country required to go to war for the Palestinian cause? Where are the rest of the Arab and Islamic countries? Abdel Baqi asked.
Abdel Baqi also added that Egypt “is not the only country that shares its borders with Palestine, and asked “why aren’t the Jordanian and Syrian governments included in those attacks as well?
Aid and medical supplies have been allowed to trickle in through the border, but eyewitnesses say the pace of the process is slow.
This week, Egypt allowed more than 60 Arab and Egyptian doctors, in addition to 13 European doctors and nurses to cross into Gaza after signing documents stating that they will enter the war zone at their own risk.
Ambulances were also allowed this week to enter the Strip to get the patients straight from Gaza hospitals.
