BREAKING:SALAFIS WELCOME SHIA TOURISTS
by Sara Labib* Published on Saturday, 06 April 2013 20:05
Disclaimer: the author of this article was daydreaming when she wrote it. Any resemblance to real persons, etc. The events featured are completely fictitious—just like freedom of religion in Egypt.
Nader Bakkar, the spokesperson of the Salafi Al Nour party has recently welcomed the latest developments in Egypt in which Iranian tourists were easily allowed to visit the country. “We welcome people from all over the world to come and see our beautiful country and enjoy all it has to offer, especially the monuments the Great Pharaonic civilization has left us.”
Egypt and Iran have had troubled relations over the past decades, but president Morsi has recently reached out to the Persian nation in an attempt to ameliorate the situation. Salafis have been among the most outspoken supporters of that policy which they feel reflects their tolerant and forgiving nature.
All against the "plot to spread Shiitism among Egypt’s Sunni inhabitants"
When asked about his opinion regarding claims that Iranians might be out to spread Shiitism among Egyptian Sunnis, Mr. Bakkar said: “We are confident in our faith and are therefore unafraid of freedom of religion. Furthermore, we respect the Egyptian people and think they are not to be patronized in matters of belief, they should be free to decide which way to go without any government intervention.”
Mr. Bakkar went on to say that his party is tolerant of all religions and sects in Egypt. He emphasized that diversity is something his party strives for and aims to promote, “the free market of ideas is the best token of respect to God’s will for man,” he said, “who are we to take away the freedom endowed upon men by their Creator?”
The vice-president of Da’awa Salafiya, mr. Yasser el Borhami, who was also a member of Egypt’s constituent assembly, agreed with the former statements. “We think progress comes through cultural dialogue. We certainly have a lot to learn from our Iranian brethren and hope for the cooperation between our countries to yield fruitful results.” Mr. Borhami, a long-time advocate for religious freedom, had insisted that the Egyptian constitution not specify any government interference in religious affairs or institutions. “One of the things we learned from the Iranian experience,” he said, “is that religious institutions cannot be independent in a theocracy. We hope they learn from us what the correct balance between religion and politics should be.”
Disclaimer: the author of this piece was daydreaming when she wrote it. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The events featured in this article are completely fictitious—just like freedom of religion in Egypt.
In fact, Egypt, with a 90% Muslim population, the vast majority of whom are Sunni, has been the stage for some disgusting sectarian rhetoric aimed at all religious minorities: from Christians to Shia to Bahai’s (not to mention—gasp!—our atheist friends of course). Salafi outrage has erupted when president Morsi decided to seek rapprochement with Iran. Fears of so-called “Creeping Shia” have led the ultra-orthodox Sunni groups to issue statements and organize protests against what they perceive as a "plot to spread Shiitism among Egypt’s Sunni inhabitants." One more paranoid "plot"—exactly what Egypt needs today.
http://freearabs.com/index.php/satire/121-stories/446-jb-span-breaking-jb-span-salafis-welcome-shia-tourists
Topic: “Creeping Shia”