Chapter Two: Advice along with Hope:

A Notification Addressed to the Conscience of The Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi (1 of 2):

Firstly: Basic rules regarding the political will in Egypt

1- Egypt has been, and remains in the future to be, the most important and pioneer Arab country and of vital importance to all Arab and non-Arab countries of the Muhammadans. If Egyptians play their role in religious reform and indeed all other types of reform, Egypt will be elevates in stature and prosper; other Arab and Muhammadans' countries will follow Egypt accordingly, as usual. If Egypt deteriorates and lost its leading role, it will be lost and so are all Arab countries. No other Arab country is qualified enough to lead all Arabs instead of Egypt.

2- Egypt usually, in ancient and modern history, gets its features as a country from the features and traits of its ruler. If its ruler is a true leader qualified for leadership, Egypt leads all Arab countries and fulfills its typical historical role. Its renaissance is so for all Arab countries. This took place several times in history, when Egypt was ruled by leaders like President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, King Muhammad Ali Pacha, Saladin, Ahmed Ibn Touloun, and Al-Muezz Lidinealla the Fatimid ruler. Without such greatness of character of the leader/ruler of Egypt that befits the role and stature of such a great country, the country collapses and deteriorates on all levels. Examples of bad unfitting rulers of Egypt in history are – sadly – numerous in modern and ancient times. Such examples include Al-Adid the Fatimid ruler, all progeny of the rulers who were the descendants of the Ayyubid Sultan Al-Adil, the Ayyubid Sultan Al-Kamel, all successors of Ahmed Ibn Touloun, and the successors of M. Al-Ikhshid.

3- Religious equation inside and outside Egypt has changed by the existence of (the Cairo-based) Al-Azhar institution for more than 1000 years, since the establishment of Cairo in the Fatimid Era. This institution at first was established by the Fatimids to spread and propagate the Shiite creed inside and outside Egypt. When Saladin, the first Ayyubid Sultan, abolished the Fatimid caliphate, he closed down Al-Azhar and established instead institutions of Sunnite Sufism, such as Khanqah Saeed Al-Su'adaa. Later on, Al-Azhar regained its role within the Mameluke Era (1250 - 1517) among other institutions to propagate the Sunnite Sufism creed. Al-Azhar thrived more in the Ottoman Era after the other institutions (schools, madrassas, and khanqahs) dwindled gradually. Al-Azhar has been influential in religious lives of Egyptians and all Arabs since centuries ago. In our modern times now, during the crisis of all Arabs due to the existence of terrorism, Wahabism, the terrorist MB group and its likes, and ISIS terrorists, the vital importance of reforming religious thought from within Islam can never be exaggerated. We believe that reform of 'Muslims' that we call Muhammadans (about 1.5 billion persons) entails the reform of all Arabs (about 300 million persons). Reform of all Arabs entails reform of Egyptians (about 100 million persons). Eventually, reform of Egyptians entails the reform of Al-Azhar. Reform of this institution entails radical changes in its curricula and getting rid of the ISIS sheikhs who control the institution. These radical changes and riddance require the political will of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

Secondly: the above-mentioned points pose some queries.

1- What is more important: ISIS Azharite sheikhs, with their ignorance and incompetence in elucidating tenets and facts of Islam as per Azhar law and their stopping people from following the path of God in the Quran, or the reform of Egyptians and Arabs among the Muhammadans who think of themselves as Muslims? We leave the answer to the Egyptian President, feeling sure enough concerning his integrity, conscience, and nationalism, and devotion to Islam.

2- Is getting rid of ISIS Azharite sheikhs considered a mission impossible? The answer is surely not. This is possible. As per Azhar law itself, if it will be applied indeed, they can be fired from their posts easily by accusing them of denying facts and tenets of Islam in the Quran. This entails the explanation below.

Thirdly: An overview of Azhar law No. 103, issued by President Gamal Abdel-Nasser in 1961

1- Nasser, with his political will alone and single-handedly, took measures to update and modernize Al-Azhar by including it in the government and by nationalizing the Religious Endowments (waqfs) and turning it into a separate ministry. Nasser established within Al-Azhar University faculties of medicine, engineering, pharmaceutical studies, agricultural studies…etc. and issued Azhar law No. 103 in 1961, that includes an article about the role of Azharite sheikhs to elucidate and show facts and tenets of Islam as their main mission. This law never mentioned the term 'Sunna'; it mentions the terms 'Quran' and 'Islamic studies' and Islamic 'culture', meaning heritage books of human thought of ancient scholars. The law stipulates the removal of all extremist or deviant notions from such books, volumes, and tomes. The best part in this law is its note added to explain matters further; we find in it politically correct terms that indicate Azhar backwardness and the regression and ignorance of graduates from its university, who knew nothing about the modern times or zeitgeist. The note alludes to their feeling of inferiority and the false impression that they are clergymen akin to ecclesiastical churches. The note asserts that every single believer is a man/woman of religion and of the world as well, needing no clergymen or mediators of any type, because God in Islam is nearer to every believer than his/her heart, as per the Quran. This note is written by the minister on top of Azhar institution as its head in 1961, refuting the ecclesiastical Vatican-like nature ascribed to Azhar. No clergymen or mediators between believers and God are allowed essentially in Islam. Azhar is described in this note as a civil institution submitting to the executive authorities in Egypt. the note describes the head of the Azhar institution as ''the grand sheikh of Azhar'' NOT a grand imam as the term used today. Hence, this note denies any mediators/intercessors and any sort of spiritual guardianship of confiscation of knowledge as 'secrets' of occult nature.

2- Such statements of enlightenment in the above-mentioned Azhar law are repeated in other words in Article No. 2, concerned with the role of Azhar in preserving the heritage of 'Islamic' thought by 'studying, spreading, and explaining this thought and its influence on and role in human civilization and elevation of culture', and this means there should be room and role for research and creative progressive views by showing real facts/tenets of Islam in the Quran. Article No. 15 confines the mission of other Azharite bodies like Islamic Research Center to renew 'Islamic' cultural heritage books by removing of negative notions leading to backwardness, bigotry, fanaticism, and extremism of all sorts, in order the show great essence of Islam and call for the way of God with real wisdom. This article also urges creative progressive views. Article No. 33 confines the mission of Al-Azhar University to 'preserving and propagating and explain 'Islamic' thought heritage to convey the true message of Islam and its essence to humanity.' This article also urges creative progressive views. This presupposes that there are hidden truths or facts need to be manifested and shown and propagated within the Quran and from the so-called heritage books, with the latter acknowledged to contain errors and erroneous notions. But what do we mean by creative progressive views? This means moving away from the old trodden routes and deducing novel thoughts, ideas, and notions within sources of Azhar itself different from those of ancestors and forefathers.

3- If Azharite personnel/sheikhs could never undertake and execute this mission, what is to become of them?! They should be fired from their positions. In cases that head of Azhar institution fights against new notions and reasoning within Islam by reformers and denies facts of the Quran, what is to be done? He must get fired from his post. Article No. 30 stipulates that denying facts of Islam in the Quran, shameful behavior punishable by Egyptian laws, and demeanor that lacks integrity are the main causes to expel scholars from Azhar and to annul their membership in Islamic Research Center. Article No. 72 stipulates that the same causes should lead to the expulsion of any professor at Al-Azhar University from his post. Yet, countless Azharite clergymen deny the Quran now by defending falsehoods of al-Bokhary and other authors of ancient tomes. Such ancient authors insult and undermine the Quran and prophet Muhammad; yet, such authors and tomes are still being propagated and taught by Azhar! In contrast, those who call for religious reform, for the sake of Islam and believers to ameliorate conditions of Arab societies infested by Wahabism, are being chased away and persecuted! Azharite clergymen use their authority to punish and terrorize reformers in Egypt! such crimes must lead to their expulsion from Azhar University in accordance with the above-mentioned law, yet they remain untouched and unscathed enjoying impunity, whereas reformers sink into oblivion!

4- Egyptian Criminal Law stipulates that those who incite murder or killing are punished as killers even if they did not kill with their own hands. Yet, no one punishes extremist bigots in Azhar who incite suicide bombings and massacres of innocent people, inside and outside Egypt, while promising the criminals beforehand with houris in Paradise! Such corrupt people instigate Egyptian simple youth to become ISIS terrorists! They provide intellectual cover to sanction and endorse with 'religious' discourse the massacres and mass-killings by terrorists of Egyptian soldiers now in Cairo and Sinai and elsewhere! Terrorist Wahabi organizations kill Egyptians and non-Egyptians in in Egypt indiscriminately! Such crimes are ascribed falsely to Islam! They are to be attributed truly to Salafism and Wahabism. How come Islam sent by God via Muhammad who is described in the Quran as a mercy to humankind be turned into a source of terror to human beings?!

5- There is an Egyptian law that draws an ill-reputation in Egypt: namely, the so-called law against contempt of religions, presumably to defend Islam against detractors. Such twisted law is misused by ISIS sheikhs/members of Azhar to silence and threaten all free thinkers and to undermine freedom of expression and thought. We, Quranists, stand against such twisted law; it is an obstacle against civil liberties, human rights, and the absolute religious freedom urged in the Quran. Even when such a twisted law is applied, Azharite ISIS members should be punished by it for defaming Islam with erroneous Middle-Ages notions, leading to bigotry, extremism, fanaticism, and terrorism. Contempt of Islam/ the Quran is everyday life in Azhar University curricula. Such curricula of ancient tomes led to the emergence of terrorist organizations like ISIS with its heinous crimes and atrocities in the media now. Such intellectual crimes in Azhar and such ISIS terrorist criminal acts in the name of Islam are the real contempt of Islam.

6- To make things easier, there is another law of retirement in Egypt. Age of retirement is 60 years old for all governmental employees and 65 years old if such employees are graduates of Azhar University. This 5-year difference is due to the fact that the preparatory stage in Azhar schools used to be – until early 1969 – 4 years and the secondary one 5 years. Thus, such a law of retirement at the age of 65 is non-applicable; yet, it is still applied until today in Egypt! Hence, all Azhar-graduated employees at Azhar institution and university should retire at the age of 60; for the sake of justice and reform.

Lastly:

1- All what is required from the current Egyptian President is to apply the law in accordance with what he promised before and after presidential elections: reform of education and of religious discourse. Such reformation means to get rid of ISIS members of Azhar and Ministry of Religious Endowments (waqfs) so that Egypt and indeed all Arabs would avoid upcoming disasters and catastrophes due to terrorism.  Let us not forget that Egypt is surrounded by a hot bed of countries collapsing, and solutions are at hand to prevent the collapse of our beloved Egypt. Simply speaking, laws that are non-applied currently should be applied by force of the Egyptian law. Let us remember that the Egyptian society is now seems ready for reform and youths are corrigible; every citizen is tired to death from the same clichés, unfulfilled promises, old faces and persons, and all clergymen. Egypt cannot afford the postponement of finding solutions to its problems until later instead of facing reality. Postponement is not within policies known of the Egyptian President; he has dared to take economic initiatives feared by others. Hence, the Egyptian President, who made citizens trust him due to his candor and confrontational attitude, can press on the subject of reforming Azhar easily using his soaring popularity, and citizens will support him whole-heartedly; he can save Egypt from Azharite ISIS members who are not merely employees or groups inside Azhar alone. In fact, such type of ISIS-like persons is everywhere in all institutions of the State, spreading terrorist Wahabi and Salafist ideology that has nothing to do with Islam (the Quran). Egypt might be ruined one day if such ideology dominates the Military army of Egypt – Heaven forbid! Will we wait until Azhar destroys Egypt?!

2- We believe the Egyptian President can do it; God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. What we advise him to do is within his capacity and his religious and national duty.

3- God says in the Quran: "On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged." (16:111). God says nothing but the Truth.                                         

A Notification Addressed to the Conscience of The Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi (2 of 2)

We are still dressing the Egyptian President, hoping to save all Egyptians and Arabs from the mortal danger of Azhar ISIS members. We give below a brief historical overview of examples of political will and its negative and positive interference, and how the domination and control of ISIS members of Azhar over the religious life of Egyptians and all Arabs have occurred as a result.

1- When signs of the emergence of ISIS danger loomed, we published here our book titled ''Wahabi Opposition Movements in the KSA" to ring the alarm bells; in sum, we prove in this book how massacres of the Najd Brothers, a group formed by the first KSA king Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, in the Levant and Iraq resembles massacres of ISIS now. Swords of the Najd Brothers helped to establish the current KSA. Later on, the Najd Brothers revolted against Abdul-Aziz and he defeated and annihilated them with his political will single-handedly, while he formed the terrorist MB in Egypt!

2- Terrorist MB organization spread like cancerous cells all over Egypt and later on worldwide.  Some claim that there were terrorist MB members among the Free Officers in the 1952 coup against monarchy. President Nasser got rid of all terrorist MB group members with his own political will single-handedly; most terrorist MB group members fled to the KSA (their Wahabi spiritual birth-place) to escape Nasser's prisons and persecution. Nasser used to deride, mock, and criticize the terrorist MB ideology in public in his televised and radio speeches addressed to the Egyptian citizens. Nasser faced the looming danger of the KSA Wahabism with the ideology of Pan-Arabism and by his reforming Azhar laws and university. He sought to rely on the moderate Egyptians' religious nature that shuns all sorts of bigotry, extremism, and fanaticism. Nasserite Egypt constituted a danger and a thorn in the side of the evil KSA. The reason: the Saudi royal dynasty faced a brief danger of an organization called ''the Free Princes'' (imitating the Free Officers Movement in Egypt) headed by the Prince Talal Ibn Abdul-Aziz that aimed, but failed, to confiscate power and authority in the KSA. Hence, the KSA felt that Nasser was a thorn in their side threatening the very existence of the KSA. The Saudis felt that Nasser must disappear so that the KSA go on existing. Some Egyptian historians claim Nasser was assassinated at the age of 52 (while still in the prime of his strength and activity) by poisoning via unknown KSA agents in Egypt. If Nasser would have lived to be an octogenarian (of the same generation of Nasser, Mubarak is octogenarian and the famous Egyptian veteran political journalist M. H. Heikal is a nonagenarian), the KSA would have been wiped off the map of Arab world. In such a surmise, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations would have never emerged. Let us not forget that Egypt destroyed the first KSA in 1818 A.D., and Egypt allowed the formation of the second one that collapsed due to internecine conflicts, and hence, the on-going and thriving of the current third KSA is linked with satisfaction of Egyptian authorities and the KSA control of religious and cultural life in Egypt and of Azhar.

3- Hence, getting rid of Nasser reflected the political will and target of the USA, Israel, and the KSA, and conspiring against his life entailed precise slow steps, especially after Nasser led the positive neutrality movement in 1964 and led all revolutionary movements against colonization in Arab and African countries. What threatened Israel and the USA and the KSA most was the alliance between Egypt and the USSR against the USA. Conspiracies led eventually to split the alliance between Syria and Egypt in 1961 and pulling the legs of Nasser in Yemen war, and then came the 1967 defeat and he lost Sinai in what is called now the Six-Day War. Thus, the Nasserite Era glory in Egypt ended miserably. Egypt was crestfallen, while the KSA king Feisal Al-Saud fame and stature rose in the Khartoum Conference on 29^th August, 1967, where Arabs refused to acknowledge the existence of Israel and refused to negotiate or make treaties with it until Arab lands occupied in 1967 are returned to its rightful owners. Henceforth, the KSA assumed that it will lead Arabs after getting rid of Nasser who licked his wounds until his death (assassination?) in September 1970. Some claim that Sadat was being prepared (in a long-term slow anti-Egypt plot) to assume presidency of Egypt long along before 1970.

4- Since 1955, Sadat was friends with Kamal Adham, who later headed the KSA central intelligence agency and used to offer services for the American CIA concerning the Middle East. Kamal Adham was the husband of the sister of the KSA king Feisal, and he was the KSA representative in the ''Islamic Conference Organization'', headed by Sadat in the late 1950s. Sadat became the link by which the KSA would infiltrate into Egyptian mainstream and political life. During the good days between Nasser and King Feisal, the latter gave the sum 42 million Sterling as a grant to Egypt, and he asked Nasser to appoint Sadat as a vice-president, under the pretext that he was the man to maintain good Egyptian-Saudi relations away from Marxist and Leftist (gauche) Nasserite retinue men affiliated to the USSR, like Ali Sabry. A year later, Cairo hosted a conference that included all Arab presidents and monarchs in September 1970 when the incidents of Black September in Jordan broke out between Jordan and the Palestinians, and the latter sought the aid of Nasser. Nasser greeted and saw off all his guests and then drank a cup of coffee or a glass of juice, and died instantly! History of Egypt and the Middle East has changed forever since this fateful moment. The KSA has dominated the scene and the political arena, while Egypt lost its leadership and sank into levels of degenerations until this very moment.

5- What concerns us here is the influence of the above-mentioned on Al-Azhar institution, which used to be among the arms of Nasser inside and outside Egypt. Nasser annulled the so-called religious courts due to their corruption and made all courts civil and public and he turned Al-Azhar from a location merely subservient to the ministry of Waqfs (Religious Endowments) into an updated, modern governmental body when he nationalized the ministry. He added to Al-Azhar University faculties of science, agriculture, medicine, etc. he created Al-Azhar law No. 103 in 1960 to compel sheikhs to elucidate facts and tenets of Islam. This law never mentions the word ''Sunna''; rather, it mentions words like ''the Quran'', "Islamic fields of knowledge'', and ''Islamic culture''. This law entails the purging and removal of all erroneous notions of Middle-ages, extremism, bigotry, and fanaticism within this human thought deemed for centuries to be 'Islamic'.  This Nasserite law admits the fact that Azharite curricula contain backward and regressive elements. Nasser commanded the minister of Al-Azhar to present an explanatory note in 1961 to refute and negate the ecclesiastical church-like nature attribute to Al-Azhar as a civil body under the executive authority in Egypt. The note contains no mention of a grand imam as an epithet to the head of al-Azhar. The note asserts the refutation of mediators and intercessors between God and believers and the guardianship of clergymen over the souls of believers.

6- Nasser was the one to establish the Supreme Council of Islamic affairs in 1960 to rely on such a body in Islamic renaissance outside Egypt. Nasser established the students' city to house non-Egyptians who came to learn in Al-Azhar University. Nasser established the radio station named 'Al-Quran Al-Kareem' in Cairo along with the state public radio station. Nasser urged the education for girls and opened work fields for women to become employees on equal footing with men in higher posts and salaries as well as fashion and dress codes. Nasser appointed the very first female minister, Dr. Hekmat Abou Zeid. Nasser made education available for all classes in Egypt equally, based on justice and qualification. The sons and daughters of peasants and workers and small employees could enroll in any faculties as per secondary school grades, to enter the universities, and faculty of law, police academies, and military academies, which was confined formerly to sons and daughters of middle and high classes. Nasser was truly the founder of the modern Egypt; so many details cannot be mentioned here among his other achievements due to the limited scope of this book. Suffice it to say that Egyptians were more civilized, cultured, and elevated in the 1950s and the 1960s in comparison to later decades; see the examples of such elegance and elevation in movies of the period and videos of concerts of the diva Um Koulthoum. The Egyptians were dignified outside Egypt because of Nasser. We see now why the KSA had to get rid of Nasser to step into the leadership position of Arabs. The KSA formally established in 1932, and this means that the Cairene newspaper Al-Ahram is older than the KSA by about 77 years. It is ironic and funny that the KSA considers itself the elder sister of Egypt; Egypt is the oldest state on earth and in history millennia ago!

7- Sadat abolished, annulled, and destroyed all achievements of Nasser in Egypt. Sadat obeyed the USA commands soon enough when he severed relations with the USSR and its experts and opened the doors wide for capitalism, all USA policies, and all KSA policies. His worst crime yet was to allow the terrorist MB group members and Wahabis/Salafis to control several institutions and fields and Al-Azhar as well as most mosques in Egypt. Egypt has become subservient to the KSA and the USA. When both countries felt that Sadat became an unbearable burden, they both arranged his assassination via the Wahabi MB terrorists in October 1981.

8- As for Al-Azhar, Sadat annulled Law No. 103 and replaced it with an executive note in 1975, to wipe out all Nasserite traces of achievement in Azhar! Such corrupted and twisted move allows the punishment of anyone who dares to criticize Wahabism and Salafism and dares to show and explain Quranic facts and tenets. Such punishment was exacted by idle ignorant Wahabi Azharite sheikhs. That is why we, Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, was accused of denying facts of Islam due to our writings that prove clearly that the Quran contradicts and refutes the so-called Sunna and Sunnite Fiqh. Azharite clergymen persecuted us from 1985 to 1987 because of our writings that apply the Nasserite Law No. 104 of Al-Azhar.

9- Hence, the political will of Nasser led Egypt to be a true leader of all Arabs within Al-Azhar institution among other fields and achievements; the political will of Sadat did the exact opposite and Egypt was dwarfed. Sadat planted mines and bobs in the Egyptians collective mind. The Sadat crimes against Egyptian culture and stature led to the undermining of writings of enlightenment figures such as Al-Tahtaoui, Taha Hussein, Muhammad Abdou, Ahmed Amin, Muhammad Hussein Heikal, Sheikh Shaltout, Sheikh Abou Zahra, and Amin Al-Khouly…etc. by subjugating Egypt to Wahabism imported from the KSA. The political will of Sadat allowed him to take airs and epithets with allusions of religiosity. He committed the crime of making Egypt enter into the dark tunnel of Wahabism and Salafism (the worst types of Sunnite creeds) to the extent that every simple act of everyday life entails an extremist Salafist fatwa! Sadat allowed political trends of Wahabi Salafists to accuse their foes and detractors, who refuse the application of sharia, as renegades and apostates who forsook Islam! Sadat was among victims of Wahabism when Wahabi terrorists of the MB members assassinated him after accusing him of apostasy and disbelief! Other bombs and mines exploded in the three decades of Mubarak rule. Other bombs and mines of Wahabism wait to be exploded now inside and outside Egypt!

Lastly:

 We hope the Egyptian President Al-Sisi gains control of his own political will in a positive manner that will save Egyptians and Arabs from the danger of ISIS members in Al-Azhar and Ministry of Religious Endowments.

Al-Sisi and ISIS Azharite Members

Firstly: facts about the current debate within the Egyptian media

1- It is good thing that for the very first time Egyptian media figures criticize Al-Azhar curricula since the abolishment of the Nasserite Al-Azhar Law of 1960. This is unprecedented and commendable. We remember that once we sent some Al-Azhar curricula books to the Marxist veteran thinker and activist Dr. Rifaat Al-Saeed, and we asked him to write criticisms of them, but he did not. We sent the same books to the late (assassinated by Wahabi terrorists later) Dr. Farag Fouda, and he did write a preliminary article published in Al-Ahrar newspaper. Yet, an ultimatum reached him from Mubarak men because the head of Azhar Sheikh Jad-Al-Haq was furious and called Mubarak to protest. Fouda told his readers in another article that he had to stop writing on the subject and said jestingly and mockingly that he would write on sports or anything else.

2-We feel glad that recently an Azharite youth (the Sheikh named Muhammad Nasr) said on TV publicly and vociferously in Egypt that Al-Bokhary books are insulting to God and Muhammad and filled with bad notions and language. The other Wahabi sheikh in the forum on air felt astonished to hear Nasr quoting exact words of Al-Bokhary. Such sheikh who worships Al-Bokhary as a deity never imagined such criticism, and he threatened Nasr with torment of the grave. He was astounded to hear Al-Bokhary, to him considered the holy of holies and the Sunnite sanctified and revered god, insulted and derided. Atheists are used to verbally abuse God and Islam and Muhammad, and such insults never incited the anger of Azharite ISIS members. When Nasr mocked and insulted and derided Al-Bokhary, their supreme deity, they felt such fury that they had to attack him verbally on TV and via cyberspace! Sheikh Nasr attacked their gods, as Qorayish tribesmen accused Muhammad the prophet of verbally abusing their gods and idols.         

3- It is commendable that President Al-Sisi early in his presidential term talks about reforming Azharite education and public education and the religious discourse. He began already to order modifications in the curricula of religious education in public schools, and he took measures to control sermons and preachers in mosques.

Secondly: Such facts are commendable and induce joy as partial measures aimed by all Quranists, but they are not sufficient due to the bleak atmosphere that contains the facts below.

1- We, Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, sough in vain to appear on any Egyptian TV channel to talk about Quranism, our school of thought aiming at reform, and to expose Al-Bokhary and the rest of enemies of Islam and foes of God and Prophet Muhammad. Our school of thought is included within reform of religious discourse and education, but doors are closed before us until this very moment. We have published thousands of articles and several books online in this respect, calling for Quranism as the solution for such problems in Egypt and the Arab world, but no one cares to present us via the media. No one wants to discuss Quranism in the Egyptian media. If anyone dares to tackle something nearer to Quranism, law of contempt of religion would incarcerate him/her for five years!

2- Our 1990s articles in Cairo covered many topics, and some Azharite people attacked our ideas in media without mentioning our name. we began the call for reform 30 years ago inside Azhar, and we founded the school of thought called Quranism that spread all over the globe; yet, no other reformers in Egypt mention our name when they write on the topic of reforming Al-Azhar, though some of these reformers use to know us in Cairo. Insistence on ignoring and overlooking our name and endeavor and suffering raises several question and exclamation marks. Why does this fear of our name persist in Egypt?! Why denying the so-called Sunnite hadiths remains an accusation feared by all reformers in Egypt?! What declaring oneself as a Quranist might incite punishment in Egypt?! Higher levels of freedom in Egyptian media have been reached especially in expression of political views, but fear of Azharite ISIS members and their media men persists until now. Azharite clergy drew an image of the devil out of us! Quranists in Egypt suffered four waves of arrest by Mubarak. Sadly, Arab and Egyptian people are still enslaved to culture of tongue-to-cheek rumors calumnies, slanders, and views, and they never read; they just listen to and believe in Sunnite Wahabi sermons on Fridays! They should remember the following Quranic verse: "O you who believe! If a troublemaker brings you any news, investigate, lest you harm people out of ignorance, and you become regretful for what you have done." (49:6). Sunnite, Shiite, and Sufi creeds of the Muhammadans are based on audience hearing not on readings! Even hadiths writers among ancient ones write that they ''heard'' so-and-so saying that Muhammad the prophet said …etc. this culture spread falsehoods! Is not that shocking indeed?! Our name beings fear to all Azharite clergymen. Is not that funny indeed?!

3- Does this mean that our name is a taboo in Egyptian ruling circles and media?! Perhaps this is true. We lament this if this true. We never desire fame, wealth, or authority. We care NOT for worldly possessions in this transient existence. We apply this verse: "…I desire nothing but reform, as far as I can. My success lies only with God. In Him I trust, and to Him I turn" (11:88). From the very beginning, since 1977, we have four main principles: we never impose ourselves on others; we never impose our thought on others; we never ask for money anything from others; and, we pardon and forgive others as much as we can. Maybe such idealism is an obstacle; ruling classes in the Arab and Muhamadan countries do not feel secure dealing with people like us; we are a free thinker who never submits to anyone except God Almighty. Ruling circles love to deal with obedient slaves and henchmen!

4- Does this mean that when Egyptian government men discover that ISIS members of Al-Azhar fail in reform, they might resort to Quranists instead? We hope so.

Thirdly: Other facts that might lead Egyptian government men to resort to Quranists are as follows.

1- Deep state in Egypt has its own mentality and ancient notions; chief among them is the love of controlling those under it, especially Azharite clergymen who are loyal and obedient servants to them. Yet Azharite ISIS members are not as expert as deep state men; on the contrary, they are ignorant even in their specialized fields. Such Azharite men spent their entire life defending falsehoods and denying the Quran. It is impossible for them to create any reform at all. They will never be able to convince people, who will in turn mock them and make them lose credibility. Deep state men will feel compelled to resort to Azharite men who are not famous in media to make them undertake the mission to dispel illusions and debunk myths of Al-Azhar. Would they be brave enough to face Azharite veterans? They might quote some of our Quranist writings without mentioning our name to defeat ISIS men of Azhar. This is taking place now, we presume.

2- Deep state in Egypt is based on stability and balance games; it feels animosity toward radical changes. That is why entire cancellation and removal of the so-called Sunna and hadiths off Al-Bokhary and others is refused as solution. Piece-meal solutions are preferred; such as omitting parts or chapters in Al-Azhar curricula books in many grades. We are against this tendency and have written about its obnoxious impact in several books and articles published here online. There should be no hadiths and Sunna at all in Islam. They contradict the Quran. Deep state men never bother to read, think, and analyze; they care only for threatening Azharite men by firing them from their posts if they be not obedient enough! Intellectual revolt is a bomb waiting for them all

Fourthly: Recent news in Egypt affirms the above-mentioned facts.

1- Former Egyptian Minister of Culture, Dr. Jabir Asfour, began an initiative to cooperate with Ministry of Religious Endowments to train and educate preachers, but Azharite clergymen caused him to be fired from his post and threatened and terrorized him.

2- Media figure Ibrahim Eissa have attacked, out of the blue, in his TV show some Sunnite falsehoods and myths as well as Azharite men's reluctance to take steps of reform. He has been vehemently attacked and threatened by Azhar in an attempt to terrorize him, but he ignored their threats. Some Egyptian private TV channels hosted in their talk-shows judge Ahmed Abdou Maher who has refuted notions taught within Azharite curricula, and he has proven their danger in the Egyptian society.

3- Azharite ISIS members had to wait for the storm to pass once they realized that threats and accusations are in vain and to no avail. Even law of contempt of religion is being questioned; we surmise that deep state men agree to such waiting period as man Azharite men stopped their vitriol attacks and stopped their threats of litigation.

Lastly: the great truth:

1- ISIS is the devilish offspring of the creed of Wahabism, which is in turn the devilish offspring of the Sunnite Ibn Hanbal extremist doctrine. The Najd Brothers were the precursors of all terrorist organization in the Middle East: the terrorist MB and Al-Qaeda and now ISIS. Massacres committed by ISIS are done under the pretext of applying sharia! It is a catastrophe that Azharite men refused – until recently – to declare ISIS terrorists as apostates who do not represent Islam! ISIS thought is defended in Azhar! Victims are on the rise: killed, massacred, and terrorized victims as well as deluded youths joining the terrorists of ISIS. The real culprits who should be punished and fired out of their posts are the Azharite ISIS members!

2- All Wahabi Sunnite terrorist organizations differ in names but they are all essentially the same in the past, present, and future. All of them are affiliated to the same terrorist Wahabism/Salafism propagated in the Arab world using money of oil-rich KSA and by Al-Azhar institution in Egypt. This is the main cause of the failure of the so-called revolts of Arab Spring. Frustrated youths resort to terror and destruction and murder, and they join ISIS as a result to wreak revenge and vent all bent-up fury.

3- ISIS desire to infiltrate Egypt; its cronies are inside Egyptian land now of course. If religious reform is not commenced as soon as possible, ISIS will spread in Egypt to commit all sorts of heinous crimes. Innocent people will pay the dear price! Reasons that support the view of ISIS spread in Egypt are as follows.

3/1: ISIS members among Azharite men controlling the institution and all religious life activities in Egypt has but one mission: to protect, defend, and preserve the Sunnite/Wahabi/Salafist creed as well as to terrorize and threaten any critic who dares to discuss or refute this creed.

3/2: Salafists stick to propagation and spread of the same creed of ISIS in all mosques, under the auspices of the Ministry of Religious Endowments that is supposed to control mosques, to brainwash frustrated youths to make them join ISIS now and in the future.

3/3: Egyptians feel the brunt of economic crisis and economic reform undertaken by President Al-Sisi bravely. Egyptians suffer the collapse of security and infrastructure. Countless laws require amendments and/or annulment by the Parliament, amid fears that Parliament members might be among Salafists and Mubarak cronies and businessmen who hate change in any sort.

3/4: Egypt is still facing the danger of the terrorist MB members and their twin brothers the Salafis who control countless Upper Egyptian villages and countless mosques. Egypt is still facing the danger of its enemies: MB president of Sudan, ISIS members in Libya, terrorist Hamas organization in Gaza, Turkey, and Qatar. It is a shame that Egypt is being endangered by such dwarfs. Another shame is Egypt begging for financial aid from the UAE and the KSA. We miss the days of Nasser sorely! Amidst such sour conditions, ISIS can recruit frustrated Egyptian youths. Arms are being smuggled through Egyptian borders. Thousands of Salafists are furious due to the Revolution of 30^th of June 2013, with terrorist MB president deposed. Salafists are eager to take revenge by destroying Egypt, to avenge their imprisoned leaders.

Lastly: the solution.

1- Religious reform entails free thinkers like us; we mean those who never fear anyone, save God, for the sake of truth. It is OK if deep state chose to apply reform via stages. Deep state men have to face deep-seated corruption and intellectual ruin and void in Azhar, education, media, and Ministry of Religious Endowments that have been there for centuries not decades.

2- Stages of reform entail legislative reforms in the penal and criminal codes and laws. All laws that hinder freedom of thought, religion, and expression have to be abolished. Azhar Law has to be amended. Law of the so-called contempt of religion must be annulled. Media figures must be allowed to discuss and refute all ancient notions of Sunnite and Wahabi creeds.

3- We need committees under the auspices of President Al-Sisi to undertake and execute reform of religious discourse, reform of education, and reform of Al-Azhar, just like committees of economy. Such committees must consist of enlightened thinkers and law-makers and human rights experts. ISIS members of Azhar must not be allowed into such committees. May God curse Azharite ISIS members!