Ban and not Ban: ask Al-Azhar

Al-Azhar under Sadat and Mubarak should be dubbed the Lunacy Center for Islamic UnLearning. Al-Azhar played a progressive role in the 1960s, and really worked to bring religions and sects closer together. Look at those nuts who run it now: "In what is seen by many as an unprecedented response, Al Azhar's Islamic Research Academy has decided to stop publishing a book criticized for defaming Christianity. 'The Scientific Report', written by Muslim intellectual Mohamed Emara, was released alongside the institution's monthly magazine in November. The author said the work was commissioned by the Research Academy to refute a book written by a Christian Coptic writer a few months ago that was regarded as denigrating Islam." Muhammad `Imarah is an interesting fellow. He is of course now totally sponsored and supported by AlAzhar. He is a most learned man who knows history and religion well, and who writes beautiful and accessible Arabic. I like to read his books from the 1960s: many people don't know that he was a committed socialist and secularist under Nasser, before he discovered religion under Sadat. He also is an excellent debater, as much as I detest his views. He once appeared in a program with Nawal Saadawi, and in five minutes he won the debate hands down. I still remember how devastating he was. Saadawi has a habit of saying things that are not true. She said that Sufis did not even bother to go to Hajj. I remember him looking at the camera and saying: ask her where Ibn Al-`Arabi wrote his Futuhat Makiyyah. You had to be there.