Hundreds of representatives from political groups protested Sunday at Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, the Islamic body responsible for issuing religious decrees, demanding the dismissal of Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa for visiting Jerusalem.
The protesters demanded that Gomaa, who is currently on a visit to Abu Dhabi, be brought to trial for visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Gomaa’s visit raised controversy in Egypt, especially among political Islamists, because many refuse to visit Palestine while it is under occupation, so as not give normalization and legitimacy to Israel.
Gomaa cut his visit short and returned to Cairo Thursday. In a press conference, he said he sought to support the Palestinians and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that the visit was personal and didn’t represent Al-Azhar.
Last week, presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi called on Gomaa to resign, considering his visit as breaking the people’s consensus and the decision of the majority of Egyptian national groups to refuse normalization with the Zionist entity.
Edited translation from MENA
