[ClarionProject] Islam, said El-Sisi needs a modern understanding and should not rely on a discourse that has not changed for 800 years.| A taste: |
The speech, which went unnoticed in the Western media, took place at the Armed Forces' Department of Moral Affairs. In the speech, El-Sisi said:
"Religious discourse is the greatest battle and challenge facing the Egyptian people, pointing to the need for a new vision and a modern, comprehensive understanding of the religion of Islam--rather than relying on a discourse that has not changed for 800 years."
Notice what El-Sisi did not say. He did not say Zionism or Western oppression is the greatest threat to Egypt, nor did he point to a specific group like Al-Qaeda or the Moslem Brüderbund. He accurately framed the struggle as an ideological one within Islam.
When he refers to the "discourse that has not changed for 800 years," he's referring to when the most qualified Islamic scholars of that time ruled that all questions about interpretation had been settled. The "gates" of ijtihad, the independent interpretation of Islam, ended by the year 1258. He wants the "gates" reopened, allowing for the critical examination that an Islamic reformation needs.