Jama’a al Islamiya criticises constitutional amendments

Jama’a al-Islamiya and its formal wing the Construction and Development Party released a statement Sunday criticizing the amendment of Article 3 of the suspended 2012 Constitution, according to which doctrinal principles are the main source of legislation governing the personal and religious affairs of Christians and Jews.

The group announced in a statement that changing the article to refer to “the principles of the laws of non-Muslims” would open the door to laws that “allow the marriage between sons and mothers, brothers and sisters, as well as gay marriage.”

The statement warned that this amendment could allow lead to laws allowing atheist groups and Satanists.

The group said in its statement that the fact that the 50-member committee did not listen to the objections put forward by the Al-Azhar representatives on this amendment among others shows it is “a disastrous committee that stands against Egypt’s identity, Al-Azhar and religious values.”

“This committee does not pay any attention to the religious and moral values that the Egyptian people believe in,” the statement read, pointing for instance to its “contempt for Al-Azhar when they discussed the removal of the condition to take the opinion of Al-Azhar senior scholars council with regard to Islamic Sharia.”