A Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence at al-Azhar University Ahmed Karima has criticized a commercial advertisement by Banque Misr which featured singing on Mount Sinai, an act that stirred wide controversy.
In statements to “Masr Times” website, Karima said that it is forbidden from a religious point of view to sing on Mount Sinai, because it is a sacred place where Allah spoke to Moses.
Karima cited verse 143, of Surah al-A’raf, the holy Quran, saying: “when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious.”
“A message to the singer. Any works of singing, dancing, and what is called artistic (on sacred places) are considered disrespectful to Abrahamic religions.”
Banque Misr, the singer Mahmoud al-Esseily and Hamza Namira were subject to severe criticism for singing during an advertisement for Banque Misr on Mount Sinai, with the advertisement considered an insult to the sanctity of the place.
Backlash was harsh on social media. One user said, “I go to Mount Moses, a sacred place, to pray to our Lord there…the place where our Lord spoke to prophet Moses.”
A Facebook wrote: “Esseily sings while standing on the pure spot where our Lord spoke to prophet Moses, peace be upon him, and the only place on earth in which Allah appeared.. Mount Al-Tur, prophet Moses, when he came to climb the mountain, our Lord said: remove your sandals. Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa”.
