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Al-Ahram Weekly 14 - 20 October 1999 Issue No. 451 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 14 - 20 October 1999 Issue No. 451
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Promoting a modern and moderate Islam
By Nadia Abou El-MagdA memorial hall named after the revered Sheikh Mohamed Abduh in Al-Azhar University has become the headquarters of a new weekly publication, Al-Shorouq: Sawt Al-Azhar (Sunrise: the Voice of Al-Azhar).
In the spacious hall, more than 10 reporters and writers, led by Chief Editor Gamal Badawi, were working hard to produce the newspaper, which hit the news-stands two weeks ago.
As he puffed on a cigarette, Badawi, 65, told Al-Ahram Weekly: "People need this newspaper. Muslims need an Islamic newspaper which deals with life and religious affairs moderately, without extremism."
The newspaper is the brainchild of Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. But the name was chosen by Ahmed Omar Hashem, president of Al-Azhar University. But why two names? Badawi explains that the publication licence in Al-Azhar's possession carries the name "the Voice of Al-Azhar".
According to Badawi, the Islamic content of the newspaper will be dealt with from a modern perspective. The fact that the newspaper is called the Voice of Al-Azhar means that it will reflect the views of the 1,000-year-old mosque, the nation's oldest and highest Islamic institution.
A television advertisement says the newspaper "addresses the intellect and the conscience, and meets the readers' need for a true knowledge of Islam".
"Many people think that Islam is merely about praying, fasting and performing religious rituals. But we believe that Islam is not only a religion, it is also a way of life," Badawi said.
The newspaper will carry interviews with prominent personalities, including scientists and Islamic scholars. "We will speak to them, and also to their wives and children, in their homes. Instead of preaching to the reader, we will project a true image of an Islamic family," Badawi said.
"We believe that art has a noble message and should serve to refine people's taste. Accordingly, a part of the newspaper's content will be artistic," Badawi added.
And what about politics? "We will not deal with politics directly, but only with general political principles, such as the freedom and dignity of man, justice and equality and the relationship between the ruler and the ruled," Badawi responded.
The headline of the 20-page first issue reads: "Muslim scholars urge President Mubarak to back democracy, promote security and pay attention to young people's problems".
Sheikh Tantawi, Hashem and Badawi began preparing for publication in June. The newspaper is financed by "a group of scholars who are interested in Islamic affairs", Badawi said. According to Badawi, 50,000 copies of the first edition were printed. But the first issue was preceded by a special edition published last month to coincide with the inauguration of the new head office of Al-Azhar. In that edition, Sheikh Tantawi defined the message of the newspaper as "defending Islamic shari'a with evidence that will persuade people who have sensible minds and lofty sentiments. We aim at serving religion and morality. We also aim at serving Egypt and Arab and Islamic societies in general, at a time when many people claim to speak in the name of religion, although they in fact tarnish it." He added that "this newspaper also aims at fighting repulsive fanaticism, ugly racism, selfishness and vanity."
Badawi ruled out the possibility that Sheikh Tantawi might use the newspaper to settle accounts with his critics, such as the Front of Al-Azhar's ulamas (scholars). He denied, too, that Sheikh Tantawi or Hashem would intervene in the editorial policy or content of the newspaper.
In the same special edition, Badawi wrote that "fathers will be keen to take the newspaper home for their boys and girls, confident that it does not include any indecent language or pictures and confident that it aims at promoting morality."
Badawi, former chief editor of the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd and a staunch critic of "yellow" journalism, said the new publication was the realisation of an old dream.
The newspaper, which also targets a worldwide audience, will be available soon on the Internet. George Fahim, head of the newspaper's foreign affairs desk and its Internet service, described his department as the link between the newspaper and the outside world.
"As a Christian working for an Islamic newspaper, I wish to serve as a link between different cultures and religions, to be an example of tolerance," Fahim told the Weekly.
