Insulting Essebsi, fugitive Ghoneim barred from entering Tunisia

CAIRO – 29 July 2019: Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed ordered barring Islamist preacher Wagdy Ghoneim, who has admitted connections to Muslim Brotherhood leaders, from entering the country over insulting late Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi passed away at the age of 93 on Thursday, July 25th, announced the Tunisian Presidency in a statement.

Ghoneim, an Egyptian fugitive harbored by Turkey, has described Essebsi as "apostate" who had been fighting against Allah (God) and Islam. He also prayed against him and his supporters.

Egypt Today could no more find Ghoneim's Facebook post, and could not publish the content of the post in full as it contains hate speech.

This is not the first time for Ghoneim to describe Muslim people as disbelievers. He earlier designated the Egyptian incumbent president, late Noble Prize winner Egyptian scientist Ahmed Zuweil, and even those who sang "Teslam al-Ayadi," a national song that praises the Egyptian army personnel, as apostates.

An Egyptian court handed Ghoneim a death sentence in absentia in April, 2017, over inciting to murder security forces and Christians.

The remarks of Ghoneim against Essebsi is considered to be "an extremist behavior that aims at insulting not only the late president but the Tunisian state and Tunisian people," the Tunisian prime minister told Tunis Afrique Presse news agency.

Abdelfattah Mourou, acting speaker of the Tunisian Parliament has apologized to the Tunisian people for the behavior of Ghoneim in an interview with Tunisia's Mosaïque FM, saying that he did not know that how mean is that person and how he does not respect death to this extent.

Mourou said that he will address the Turkish authorities to expel Ghoneim from its territory and end his residence.

What Ghoneim means

Equal inheritance

Swimming against Islamic tides, late Tunisian President Beji Caed Essibsi in August 2017, in his speech during the National Women's day, launched an initiative to grant women and men equal inheritance rights. In November, a relevant bill was approved by the government, but the parliament in June, 2019 has postponed the discussion of the bill.

In Islamic law, a man inherits double the share of a female in some cases, while in some cases, women can take equal share as men or can take more than what men take in other cases.

Islamic scholars throughout the ages have agreed that granting both genders equal inheritance rights regardless the case contradicts with the Islamic instructions.

Abbas Shouman, the deputy chief of Eygpt's Al-Azhar Islamic institution, commented on Essebsi's suggestion in a Facebook post saying that it is unjust and against the provisions of the law of Islam, explaining that the “inheritance is divided in verses of peremptory significance and could not be changed,” affirming that it does not mean to grant lesser rights to women than men.

Homosexuality

In June 2018, a commission established by the country’s president has recommended, as part of many recommendations, repealing article 230, which punished homosexuals with up to three years in prison. According to the recommendation, homosexuals can face a fine of 500 dinars ($173.3) instead of imprisonment.

Islam and Christianity declares PRACTICING homosexuality as sin. Many Islamic scholars think that gays charged with sexual intercourse, if convicted, shall be punished exactly like those convicted of fornication.