Egypt’s Al-Azhar Spokesman Resigns, Joins Protesters

[WillyT]

Egypt’s al-Azhar spokesman resigns, joins protesters
By Manar Ammar
Feb 4th, 2011

<snip>

Egypt’s Al-Azhar spokesman has resigned in objection to the current government attacks on the protesters in central Cairo, according to the daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Mohamed Refaa al-Tahtawy told the newspaper that he is protesting with Egyptians in Tahrir square and will not leave until President Hosni Mubarak leaves power.

...

Tahtawy also called for a civil state where people get a real chance to participate and choose their true representatives. Tahtawy is referring to the recent parliamentary elections in which Mubarak’s party have won the majority of the house seats leaving a slim four seats for the opposition.

Al-Azhar is Egypt and the Islamic world’s most venerated Sunni Islamic institution. In recent years, al-Azhar has come under attacks by bloggers, commentators and average citizens who argued it was simply towing the government line.

<snip>

Link: http://bikyamasr.com/wordpress/?p=25518

Acording to a tweet I saw earlier, this is a big deal also, because Tahtawy is the (great) grandson of this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifa'a_el-Tahtawi

:wow:

[bluerum]

1. Amazing.

[blogslut]

2. Is this the Wikipedia link?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifa%27a_el-Tahtawi

[WillyT]

5. Yes... And For Some Reason, Google Chrome Keeps Changing It

When I try to fix the link!

:mad:

Thanks for the correct one!

:hi:

[Recursion]

3. This university is older than Oxford or U of Paris

By about 400 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Azhar_University

[monmouth]

4. It would appear when POTUS gave his speech in Cairo, many were

listening. Perhaps he encouraged and re-inforced ideas they already had brewing and then the straw broke the camel's back. The "Yes We Can Too" sign is a real indicator for me.. Good on Obama..