A recent fatwa (edict) by former mufti of Egypt, Nasr Farid Wasel, stating that women cannot run for presidential elections has prompted angry responses from human rights activists and public figures in the country. "It is not allowed in Islam that a woman can become a president of a state," said Farid Wasel. "All the great Islamic scholars had agreed on that ...women are not fit for this tough, magnificent task."Ali Gomaa, mufti of Egypt and head of Dar Al-Iftaa — the body responsible for overseeing interpretations and fatwas at Al Azhar — said Wasel's statement should not be considered an official fatwa because official fatwas are only issued by Dar Al-Iftaa. However, Gomaa who is well-known for being outspoken, and a sheikh with a secular education, said he supported Wasel's viewpoint, saying "women cannot perform that role because of some physical considerations." He added "for instance, the woman finds some difficulties to pursue her work ... the woman also has her family and children that she has to take care of. These are big responsibilities."
Human rights activists have greeted Gomaa's statement with protests, saying gender should not be taken as a measure of deciding who is fit and who is not fit for presidency. "The issue is not about who is a male and who is a female; we should decide on the abilities, experience, morals, talents and the psychological abilities to take right decisions in the right time," said activist Muhammad Al-Ghazali. "Our Arab history shows that there were some women who were more capable to rule than men and who had great abilities to make decisions that benefited their countries," Ghazali told Arab News. Ghazali added that ruling a country does not depend now on a single person. "Now we have advisers, supervisors and assistants for any president in the world so the woman will not rule the country on her own," he added.
Women's groups and Socialist activists said the latest statements by both Wasel and Gomaa stand an obstacle before the government's campaign to grant Egyptian women all their political and social rights. Egypt has previously appointed the country's first female judge, Tahani Al-Gibali, suggesting that more women judges could be soon appointed.