Parliament undersecretary backs Al-Azhar’s anti-hatred bill

Cairo – Egypt’s parliament undersecretary announced that he supports the bill proposed by Al-Azhar, the world's oldest Sunni institute of Islamic learning, on criminalizing hatred.

Mahmoud El-Sharif said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the bill is a good step to renew religious discourse. “The bill stipulates that the members of the Egyptian society constitute one family without having any disputes. The bill states that all people are on an equal footing under the constitution and rule of law that give equal opportunities to all,” he reiterated.

He hailed the bill and praised great efforts exerted by the world's oldest Islamic institution and Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb to draw this draft to criminalize “incitement to hatred” and counter violence through Al-Azhar’s tolerant and moderate approach.

El-Sharif expressed his full confidence that the bill will be supported by the majority of parliamentarians irrespective of their different political and partisan attitudes.

During an event to celebrate Laylat El-Qadr on June 21 at Al-Azhar, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was present, El-Tayeb said the Islamic institution submitted this bill upon the president's request to combat ideologies that do not “represent Islam.”

Al-Azhar stressed that the bill aims to criminalize incitement to hatred and violent crimes committed in the name of religion and help promote tolerance.

The proposed law also prohibits “any act of discrimination between citizens.” It states that educational and media institutions should spread “culture of brotherhood and tolerance and the respect of the religious doctrine of the other.”

In his speech at the event, the Egyptian president said the renewal of religious discourse is the key to defeat terrorism and extremism.