Luxor4u

Self-proclaimed Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice launches in Cairo, vows to use non-violent methods to promote 'Islamic morality' .

An unofficial Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice announced its existence at a press conference in Cairo on Thursday.

Founder Hisham El-Ashri said the committee would seek to implement Islamic Sharia law without resorting to violence.

The committee has no intention of copying the aggressive approaches of such committees in other countries, El-Ashri said.

"We have absolutely no relationship with the 'morality' committees in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Somalia or Nigeria," he claimed. "We will only offer advice to those who want to listen.

"We shall have no business with people who refuse to listen to us," El-Ashri added.

Many violent incidents in Egypt have been attributed to self-proclaimed Islamic morality committees since Egypt's revolution in 2011.

In March 2011, a group of alleged Salafists in Qena, Upper Egypt severed the ear of a Coptic Christian man and set his car ablaze for allegedly renting an apartment to two Muslim women, who they claimed were prostitutes.

In July 2012, 20-year-old engineering student Ahmed Said was stabbed to death by bearded men in the Suez Canal city of Suez while walking with his fiancée.

Such crimes, El-Ashri said, have nothing to do with his committee.

El-Ashri said the committee would not target nightclubs because "only the state is responsible for them."

He added, however, that "if a drunken customer comes out of a nightclub, we would prevent him from driving until the police arrive, so he won't hurt himself or others."

"We would not use violence [to achieve our goals] unless there was an assault from the other side that causes bloodshed. But small acts of violence towards us would be overlooked," he said.

El-Ashri said there would be no unofficial marriages, adultery or sexual harassment in Egypt if the committee had existed in the past.

The press conference took place at El-Takwa Mosque in Cairo's working class Abdeen district.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/65868.aspx

Hmmmmmm - sounds like 'good intentions' BUT............ Skepticism rules

This story is getting too much attention in the western press quoting from Al Ahram.

Mr El Ashri is just one person (not even identified as a sheik or mufti) and no one says that this is a general Egyptian initiative let alone that he has the followers across Egypt to enforce it. Notice that El Ashri gives no figures (and Al Ahram seems not to ask) on the number of his followers, which you would normally expect if he wanted to make a splash, nor does he claim explicit religious support from any major religious figure. Normally a mad sheik can be found to support almost anything, given the absence of central control of sheiks in Islam, so in this case his support may be very limited.

Al Ahram does itself, and Egypt, no credit in printing stories like this and, in this case, not seeking comment from the police who may well oppose vigilantism. Sensational stories like this play to increasing negative views of Egypt in the West as well as showing the sloppy journalism Al Ahram produces nowadays.

The story is like the one a while ago about sex after death - just one sensational voice with little support but getting its 5 minutes of fame. Notice that no Salafi or Brotherhood leaders have publicly supported this. On the other hand no Salafi, Brotherhood, government or tourist official is denouncing it. Maybe local leaders don't want to give him oxygen by opposing him.

Our seven point guide to suppress acts of anti religious beliefs. 1- If drunken reveler is spotted attempting to reach their mode of transport, break both legs to foil the attempt until police arrive and they can drag him away via handcuffs fixed to rear bumper as this is now an accepted practice within the African nations and frees space up on the back seat. 2- Remove socks and fill with sand to beat the opponent to the ground, this will only show bruising with no blood loss thus allowing us to look casual when his friends arrive. But please note, any holes in the socks will render this action null and void. 3- Always carry copious amounts of rolls of sellotape so the non believers you may come across can be fixed to the nearest lamp post so they can choose to listen to our teachings in a relative and upstanding position. Warning, on one account approach people with one ear. 4- It is important that we never target the nightclubs so always aim your shouldered missile launcher at the adjoining building at an angle of 37 degree's as this will usually cause it to collapse onto said nightclub. Please note, this action could cancel out point 1, thus saving time. 5- In regards to sexual harassment, the rule of thumb is, don't get caught. 6- In future please pay attention to the venue address as it cost the committee a lot of money to fly over six hundred of our Brothers back home from Aberdeen in Scotland. 7- If you have any query's concerning any of these points contact the other committee as this one doesn't exist.

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/sa ... e-and-vice

here's an interesting twist questioning the morals of the morality committee!

Pity Keefy's item didn't have these points on his report for it would have given then an imperfect ten point plan to follow.

For Goddess thanks for the article. The casual and everday use in the press and everyday Egyptian life of the term 'Muslim Scholar' is never challenged, yet I've met so called 'scholars' who are barely literate. A scholar who rote learns out loud the Koran and other teachings is no scholar but in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.

With the morality police Egyptians will find out, as have southern Baptists, that the ones who yell out about immorality are often up to it themselves. Catholic priests and Scots Cardinals are other examples. Beware of making strong criticism it reveals your desires.

Just read the article as posted by Goddess. Leads me to wonder if clothing does make the man?

Yes it does LLL, every time I go out people comment on my dress sense. Usually behind my back for some reason. Whats wrong with tank tops?

@ Dusak - So long as your tank top doesn't = Emperor's New Clothes and so long as you're not stylin' and profilin' down Television Street wearing it. What were those little kids saying when you walked past?

They wanted my autograph cos they thought I was Mr. Bean!

I’ll take more seriously the protests of people against the modesty rules of Islam when they protest against the same rules ‘enforced’ by orthodox Jewish right under our noses and not in the wild west of the Middle East but in NY. These NY orthodox Jews, like their Muslim brothers in Egypt, also have vigilante ‘police’ forces to enforce the rules but no one seems to bother to make an issue of it. Seems like double standards.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/nyreg ... wanted=all&

These practices exist also in Israel where there has been abuse hurled by a crowd at an 8 yo Jewish girl for breach of modesty.

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/whe ... e-1.404061

Maybe, like Egypt, there should be special UN NGO’s funded to break this practice in Israel and NY or maybe the NY police should just arrest them for criminal offences.

The discrimination against Jewish women, justified by ancient practice, also applies to prayer and orthodox Jewish rules (permitted by the Israeli Supreme court) prohibit women praying at the Jerusalem Wailing Wall in the same manner as men.

http://womenofthewall.org.il/about/lega ... ourt-case/

http://972mag.com/hundreds-of-women-inc ... law/67456/

I know that some will say that these are isolated cases but so are the press reports of modesty ‘police’ in Cairo.

We all find it easy to criticize Muslim rules against women but maybe we should be more even handed when we criticize and not just take the bait when the Western press publishes the latest sensational mad mullah story from the Middle East.

Oh extreme Muslims aren’t the only people to live their lives strictly according to ancient rules that go well beyond the modesty rules. Here is an example, again from the NY Jewish community.

http://narrative.ly/culture-crossings/heretic-hasidim/

Mmmm, all i can say is read Keefy's post on Religeon Over Politics!