code: 438785

Date: 2013/07/09 - 19:40

source: ABNA


Shahid Sheikh Hasan Shahata:

I became Shia when I saw Imam Ali (A.S.)


Egyptian media have described him as the most challenging and controversial of Egyptian elders. Shahid Sheikh Hassan Shahata was the most famous orator in Egyptian Mosques,of which some of his lectures converted 90 percent of his audience to Shiism.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hassan Shahata (1946 - 2013), a Sunni cleric who later converted to Shia, the former imam of the largest mosque in Cairo and the religious and Spiritual Master in the Egyptian army, unfortunately killed in a brutal attack carried out by Takfiri extremists in Giza Province near Cairo.

For many years, thousands of people in the mosque of Sheikh Shahata, which was located in front of Zionist embassy in Cairo, were coming together to pray after him and listen to his sermons and speeches. He always was speaking about Ahlul Bayt and exposing tyrants, hypocrites, deviant groups and especially Zionists, just in front of their embassy. This led the Egyptian security forces to implement further stringent security measures in front of his place.


He was not just one of Al-Azhar Sheikh, but also he was the master of many scholars and clerics who were once his apprentice. Some of Al-Azhar grand sheikhs, such as "Sheikh Tantawi", were his close friends since childhood; Sheikh Tantawi knows him very well and was aware of his loyalty and devotion to Imam Ali (A.S.) and it was before his converting to Shiism. But at that time he always said to his pupils and masters "Say whatever you want, but you must know the Prophet and Ali and Fatima and Hassanein-i.e. Hassan and Hussain- (peace be upon them), are like one tree which its branches and fruits are one thing."


It was not easy for him to become Shia; It took about 50 years. Sheikh Hassan eventually saw the Prophet in a true dream, and it was enough for him to become Shia. His decision sounded like a bomb in Egypt and brought thousands of Egyptians to follow the sheikh.

The following paragraph is his own account of his dream:

"I have been growing up with the love to Ahlul Bayt ,since my childhood, but after many years the truth was revealed to me and it was because of a true dream that I saw. I saw the Prophet on the top of a mountain. At the same time, Imam Ali (A.S.) arrived and they began to speak together with a kind of language that I was able to understand. Then the Prophet sent him on a mission and pointed at me, with his left hand, to follow Imam Ali (A.S.). I went down the mountains behind him and whenever I wanted to fall down, Imam Ali with his hand preventing me from falling down. I woke up from that dream, and understood what the truth is. So I became aware that I must follow Amir Al-Momenin (A.S.) forever, despite all the problems that I would encounter in my life."

End item/ 149

http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=438785

Shouldnt everyone be expecting a visit?

let us be just muslims and nothing else. talking of dreams, are they that authoritative? many people claim encounters with the holy in dreams. are we to take guidance from dreams? so if a muslim dreams he saw someone claiming to be the prophet Iisa (as) or Jesus urging him to become a christian, he should comply?

this is a good joke!

kazlaw2000: let us be just muslims and nothing else. talking of dreams, are they that authoritative? many people claim encounters with the holy in dreams. are we to take guidance from dreams? so if a muslim dreams he saw someone claiming to be the prophet Iisa (as) or Jesus urging him to become a christian, he should comply?

you do have a point,in the sense that even christians can claim to have seen or encountered Jesus (as) in dreams or in real life.and of course there is nothing to prove claims founded on personal "experiences".

i can say that the lectures of Sheikh Shahata which promote knowledge and research are of more use than his own claim of why he chose to move from Sunni to Shia.however i do also believe that this article on the claim he made was written at this point in time to honor his memory since he was recently martyred by takfiri salafist/wahhabi extremists in egypt.

Allah knows best!

deols: Shouldnt everyone be expecting a visit?

there is an authentic hadith that shaitan can never impersonate the Prophet (sa) in a dream.in other words if you are honored to see the Prophet Muhammad (sa) in a dream,it is a true dream,and it is as if you have seen him in real life.that is an Islamic belief,and perhaps based on that is what Sheikh Shahata might have placed his claim.

Can anyone here prove to me from Quran and Hadith that if you are not shia or sunni you will not enter paradise?

Can anyone here prove to me from Quran and hadith that the message of Prophet (SAW)to the Mankind was to called people to the sect?


Can anyone here prove to me from Quran where Allah said we shud call people to the sect?


If answer to my question above is YES please bring your proof but if it is NO then Allah said in Quran;

“Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all of you 2gether and do not be divided” (3:103)”

And also, the Prophet said; ((My ummah will be divided into seventy three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one?)), [Saheeh Muslim, no.976]


Its true that we muslims may be divided into 70 or more “Firqas” (sects) as is referred to in a Hadith, but the Hadith also mentions the guiding principle that “the best sect is the one that is strictly following teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunna.



The Question that we muslim should ask ourselves is that ARE WE AMONG THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE QURAN AND SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET (SAW) and hold fast to what His companions (radhi-yallaahu 'anhum) were holding to.

If you are among those who follow Quran and Hadith then just say ALHAMDULILAH but if you are not then CORRECT yourself.

ayenny02: Can anyone here prove to me from Quran and Hadith that if you are not shia or sunni you will not enter paradise?

Can anyone here prove to me from Quran and hadith that the message of Prophet (SAW)to the Mankind was to called people to the sect?


Can anyone here prove to me from Quran where Allah said we shud call people to the sect?


If answer to my question above is YES please bring your proof but if it is NO then Allah said in Quran;

“Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all of you 2gether and do not be divided” (3:103)”

And also, the Prophet said; ((My ummah will be divided into seventy three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one?)), [Saheeh Muslim, no.976]


Its true that we muslims may be divided into 70 or more “Firqas” (sects) as is referred to in a Hadith, but the Hadith also mentions the guiding principle that “the best sect is the one that is strictly following teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunna.



The Question that we muslim should ask ourselves is that ARE WE AMONG THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE QURAN AND SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET (SAW) and hold fast to what His companions (radhi-yallaahu 'anhum) were holding to.

If you are among those who follow Quran and Hadith then just say ALHAMDULILAH but if you are not then CORRECT yourself.

You JUST said all what am going to say.

ayenny02: Can anyone here prove to me from Quran and Hadith that if you are not shia or sunni you will not enter paradise?

Can anyone here prove to me from Quran and hadith that the message of Prophet (SAW)to the Mankind was to called people to the sect?


Can anyone here prove to me from Quran where Allah said we shud call people to the sect?


If answer to my question above is YES please bring your proof but if it is NO then Allah said in Quran;

“Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all of you 2gether and do not be divided” (3:103)”

And also, the Prophet said; ((My ummah will be divided into seventy three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one?)), [Saheeh Muslim, no.976]


Its true that we muslims may be divided into 70 or more “Firqas” (sects) as is referred to in a Hadith, but the Hadith also mentions the guiding principle that “the best sect is the one that is strictly following teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunna.



The Question that we muslim should ask ourselves is that ARE WE AMONG THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE QURAN AND SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET (SAW) and hold fast to what His companions (radhi-yallaahu 'anhum) were holding to.

If you are among those who follow Quran and Hadith then just say ALHAMDULILAH but if you are not then CORRECT yourself.

You JUST said all what am about to say. And lagosshia i very much waiting to here your reply

jelel6:
You JUST said all what am about to say. And lagosshia i very much waiting to here your reply

there is nothing there for me to reply.his post applies to both sunnis and shia.so let his sunni brothers reply.i know he would reject calling himself a "sunni" as many muslims in Nigeria do,because they lack the insight in understanding the differences,and they are ignorant of their reality that they are practicing and following sunni islam,which is one side of the story even if they deny the name calling.

I can answer him with in a simple way:

it is not about title and name calling.it is about following the Quran and the sunnah in the correct way.he can also review this:

https://www.nairaland.com/1001212/why-it-bidah-forbidden-sinful

lagosshia, by ur reply, you seem to agree that its un_islamic to say u ar a shia muslim. Coming to ur statement that it applies to sunnis as well, I totally agree with u. But what struck me is u saying that most of the muslims in nigeria reject their sunni identity! Can u xplain the basic difference between a sunni, a shia and an ordinary muslim doctrines?

jelel6: lagosshia, by ur reply, you seem to agree that its un_islamic to say u ar a shia muslim. Coming to ur statement that it applies to sunnis as well, I totally agree with u. But what struck me is u saying that most of the muslims in nigeria reject their sunni identity! Can u xplain the basic difference between a sunni, a shia and an ordinary muslim doctrines?

there is no where I said being a Shia is un-Islamic.i don't know where you saw that in my reply.if you would have gone through the link I provided,you would have seen the contrary of your presumption.being Shia (of Imam Ali) is a prophetic sunnah,as the word "Shia of Ali" was first used by the Prophet (sa) himself to describe in approval the close associates of Imam Ali (as).I said that regardless of the name,it is about following the Quran and Sunnah in the correct way.and if you ask me being Shia ensures that.

there is nothing as "ordinary muslim doctrines".it is either you're sunni or Shia.i didn't say "most Nigerians reject their sunni identity".how can they reject it when they do not accept or know in the first place of what they are? they are practicing islam based on the sunni version but they are unaware.i cannot go into the differences all over again,as it is going to take pages.so i'd suggest you review the link I provided,or the other threads in the forum.

this verse-'Hold fast to the rope of Allah together be not divided. What do you understand the verse is trying to teach us? I have perused the Quran, and I can not find within its cover any verse which says that you should be a shia muslim or a sunni. It is against the universal brotherhood of muslim. The prophet never said shia muslim or sunni. I challenge you to give me the reference of your previous claim that the prophet said follow imam ali. Quoting no and books.

There are many sects in islam now as was predicted by the Prophet (saw) some believed that;

* after Prophet (saw) there was still another prophet from their ideology,

* some believed that they will stick to only the Quran but Hadith is not their Book,

* some believed that their islam is just 6 points and they prefer going to other country than Hajj

* some believe that islam was not completed and Prophet (saw) revealed remaining to their sheiks in dream,

* some believed that some Sahaba of the Prophet (saw) were Kafir,

And many more in the world today and they will use Quran and Hadith to back their claims, that is the reason why the prophet said;

".....for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error. [Abu dawood Book 40, Chapter Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)Number 4590]


The solution to all those sects that use Quran and hadith to back the claims is WHAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (RA) on their claims and ideologies and also the statement of Abdullah Ibn Masud who said:

"Whoever wants to follow an example, let him follow the example of those who have passed away, the Companions of Muhammad Sallallaho Al'aihe Wasallam. They were the best of this ummah, the purest in heart, the deepest in knowledge, the least in sophistication. They were people whom Allah chose to be the Companions of His Prophet Sallallaho Al'aihe Wasallam and to convey His religion, so imitate their ways and behaviour, for they were following the Straight Path." [Mishqat al Masabih Volume 001, Page No. 68-9, Hadith Number 193]

May Allah continue to guide us from falsehood and make us know the truth as truth (ameen)

@Jelel6

"Shia in the Quran and Hadiths"
http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/13.html

"Ali is the authority (wali) over every believer (mu΄min) after me"-Prophet Muhammad (sa)
http://www.al-islam.org/shiism/6.htm

http://www.al-islam.org/thaqalayn/nontl/

ayenny02: There are many sects in islam now as was predicted by the Prophet (saw) some believed that;

* after Prophet (saw) there was still another prophet from their ideology,

* some believed that they will stick to only the Quran but Hadith is not their Book,

* some believed that their islam is just 6 points and they prefer going to other country than Hajj

* some believe that islam was not completed and Prophet (saw) revealed remaining to their sheiks in dream,

* some believed that some Sahaba of the Prophet (saw) were Kafir,

And many more in the world today and they will use Quran and Hadith to back their claims, that is the reason why the prophet said;

".....for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error. [Abu dawood Book 40, Chapter Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)Number 4590]


The solution to all those sects that use Quran and hadith to back the claims is WHAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (RA) on their claims and ideologies and also the statement of Abdullah Ibn Masud who said:

"Whoever wants to follow an example, let him follow the example of those who have passed away, the Companions of Muhammad Sallallaho Al'aihe Wasallam. They were the best of this ummah, the purest in heart, the deepest in knowledge, the least in sophistication. They were people whom Allah chose to be the Companions of His Prophet Sallallaho Al'aihe Wasallam and to convey His religion, so imitate their ways and behaviour, for they were following the Straight Path." [Mishqat al Masabih Volume 001, Page No. 68-9, Hadith Number 193]

May Allah continue to guide us from falsehood and make us know the truth as truth (ameen)

the companions were many and they differed,disagreed, and fought and killed themselves.who would you follow among the companions? as far as following is concerned after the Prophet (sa),both us and all the companions who preceded us were ordered by Allah (swt) and His Prophet (sa) to abide by the pure members of the Prophet's Ahlul-Bayt (as),and that is in fact what honorable companions like Ammar Ibn Yasser and Hujr Ibn Adi (ra) among others did, while others rebelled.there was no written "sunnah" as sunnah is (mostly) derived from the hadith which was not written during the time of the Prophet (sa).so I wonder how we can follow what the Prophet (sa) did not leave behind,but passed through,and those it was passed to differed either out of political motives,ignorance or religious mischief.you have to follow someone after the Prophet (sa) who can derive the sunnah.and you can check the links I have given to know who to follow and on what basis.i provided links so that you can research by yourself.Hadith al-Thaqalain is there.Hadith al-Manzailah is there.Hadith Ghadir Khumm is there.i don't want to argue and I want to avoid doing that,as arguing over something the opposing party is unaware of is futile.

LagosShia:

the companions were many and they differed,disagreed, and fought and killed themselves.who would you follow among the companions?

Yes, they disagreed, fought and killed themselves after the death of Prophet. During the life of the Prophet(saw), Allah has promised them paradise but the judgement of disagreement, fighting and killing among them is with Allah ALONE. Only Allah will judge that among them, Nobody can judge that.


You can go to this link and check to see more of our proof; http://www.schiiten.com/backup/AhlelBayt.com/www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/rebuttals/ghadir-khumm.html

LagosShia:
i don't want to argue and I want to avoid doing that,as arguing over something the opposing party is unaware of is futile.

Yes I agree with you becos if we continue to argue from today till last day you (shia) and we (sunni) will still stand on their proof. May Allah continue to guide us and lead us to straight path

ayenny02: Yes, they disagreed, fought and killed themselves after the death of Prophet. During the life of the Prophet(saw), Allah has promised them paradise but the judgement of disagreement, fighting and killing among them is with Allah ALONE. Only Allah will judge that among them, Nobody can judge that.

Allah (swt) did not promise anyone paradise my dear son.the so called Hadith of the Ten Promised Paradise is a forgery by the kindest standards.you can also check the Quran in Surat al-Fath to see that no one in particular was promised paradise.

and you are talking like Christians do.christians just want you to believe that Jesus (as) "died" for your sins.and even if you were a murderer,you can become a "born again".while we have no power to send anyone to hell fire,Allah (swt) have given us intellect and asked us to discriminate between good and evils.there is nothing in Islam that supports (as Sunnis promote) that once a "companion of the Prophet",you become sinless,angelic or beyond criticism.there were many good and honorable companions,and there were bad ones too.you do not ask us to follow men who killed themselves,without know which of the sides was on the right path and which was on evil.goodness does not fight goodness.evil and goodness clash.and it is our responsibility by the standard of the Quran to enjoin good and forbid evil,by rejecting tyranny of oppressors.for example,those who lived in the days of Fir'awn never had to wait for Allah's judgment or a "messiah" to oppose the evils of Fir'awn.if you are on the right path,oppose evil.simple.you do not turn a blind eye by praising evil men 1400 years after they massacred the very Household/Ahlul Bayt members of the Prophet Muhammad (sa).then you blame and fault us for condemning people who passed away 1400 years ago.it is a Quranic injunction in the Verse of Mawaddah that even if you are not a Shia who believes in the Wilayah of Ahlul-Bayt (as),you must love them and uphold their memory in honor.

You can go to this link and check to see more of our proof; http://www.schiiten.com/backup/AhlelBayt.com/www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/rebuttals/ghadir-khumm.html

there is no proof there.and I will tell you why.

Yes I agree with you becos if we continue to argue from today till last day you (shia) and we (sunni) will still stand on their proof. May Allah continue to guide us and lead us to straight path

you have no proof because all you do is either to ignore,misinterpret or deny the proofs we Shia put forward as found in the Sunni books.all the proofs existing point in the direction of the Shia being on the right position.check the following proofs found in Sunni books and on each,the Sunnis deny these proofs.such an attitude amounts to dishonesty and clutching on straws:

Hadith of Ghadir Khumm

Hadith of Twelve Imams/Successors

Hadith al-Manzilah

Hadith of the Two Weighty Things (al-Thaqalain)

Hadith of the Cloak (al-Kisa)

Several Hadiths of the Wilayah (leadership) of Imam Ali (as) "After" the Prophet (sa)

Quranic Verse of Wilayah

Imamate in the Quran

Quranic Verse of Purification

Quranic Verse of Mawaddah


you have nothing from the Prophet (sa) to prove the basis of the "caliphate" or those you made caliphs,nor anything to support your attachment to the enemies of the Ahlul-Bayt (as).keep denying the above.times are changing and people will know the truth.the internet is a powerful tool.and by the way,you can deny all you want but there is no smoke without fire!!!had the Prophet (sa) not made these declarations and which are supported in the Quran,there would have been nothing for the Shia to cling on to.

@LagosShia, u must heavily be paying by d hypocrite shia iran, keep doing ur deluded home work but ur fabrications are bound to fail woefully.

Infoman51: @LagosShia, u must heavily be paying by d hypocrite shia iran, keep doing ur deluded home work but ur fabrications is bound to fail woefully.

may Allah (swt) forgive you.

Ramadan Karim.

Infoman51: @LagosShia, u must heavily be paying by d hypocrite shia iran, keep doing ur deluded home work but ur fabrications is bound to fail woefully.

does every Shia Muslim have to be seen as an "agent" of Iran? there are many Shia who disagree with the Islamic Republic,and even dislike its leaders.but because we are Shia and we are taught the morals of the Ahlul-bayt (as) we do not have to turned every disagreement into a fight and quarrel.we can disagree and differ with you without either criticizing you or fighting with you.we are not Wahhabis/salafists.

the Iranians were majority sunnis up to the 16th century.most of your sunni scholars from Bukhari to Muslim,Abu dawood,ibn majah,to tirmidhi are Persians (Iranians).yet no one hear a word that sunnis have Persian character or whatever accusation.accusing a Shia or having ties to iran or being an "Iranian agent" is like Christians accusing every muslim of being a promoter of "arab culture" and possibly a puppet of Saudi Arabia or the arabs.this is illogical and misleading.

Lagosshia I ask you for prove, what you did was to refer me to a link. You also quoted a hadith of the prophet. But failed to provide the isnad nor the transmitter? Number and book. Which am most interested in.

to all shia muslim who may come across this: Am very interested in this discussion. But this media is hardly interactive enough to have a lively conversation. I would like to have a dialogue with lagosshia on this subject. Thats if you dont mind. Preferably on 2go. You or any other shia or sunni could add me with this username: jelel6

jelel6: to all shia muslim who may come across this: Am very interested in this discussion. But this media is hardly interactive enough to have a lively conversation. I would like to have a dialogue with lagosshia on this subject. Thats if you dont mind. Preferably on 2go. You or any other shia or sunni could add me with this username: jelel6

I'm not on 2go brother.i provided you links so you can research first.

jelel6: to all shia muslim who may come across this: Am very interested in this discussion. But this media is hardly interactive enough to have a lively conversation. I would like to have a dialogue with lagosshia on this subject. Thats if you dont mind. Preferably on 2go. You or any other shia or sunni could add me with this username: jelel6

all the isnads are there in those links.i provided you what would be beneficial to you.you are free to reject or accept them.but I have no time for endless debate that I have previous done many times here.those threads will serve as reference for future users,except if I deem it needed to contribute further.the point is I cant debate endlessly with someone who has little or no idea on the subjects to be discussed.

(Note: the below article was published by Egyptian daily al-Ahram before last month's ouster by the military of president Morsi of the Salafist Sunni Muslim Brotherhood Party in Egypt,who himself personally used to incite sectarian hatred and religious division.)

The Shias: Egypt's forgotten Muslim minority

Members of Egypt's Shia-Muslim community – whose numbers remain the source of debate – say they continue to face discrimination and persecution at the hands of their Sunni-Muslim brethren

Zeinab El-Gundy, Monday 18 Mar 2013

[img]http://english.ahram.org.eg/Media/News/2013/3/18/2013-634992264276330409-633.jpg[/img]
Egyptians take part in three nights of festivities to mark the birthday of Hussein, the Prophet Mohamed's grandson, in Islamic Cairo's Hussein Square (Photo: Randa Ali)


Last July, a young Egyptian Shia-Muslim man, Mohamed Asfour, was sentenced to three years in jail for "insulting the Prophet Mohamed's companions," who are revered by Sunni Muslims. It was the first time in Egyptian history that a Shia Muslim was incarcerated on this charge.

Asfour, who was originally a Salafist teacher in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, maintained that his arrest came after a month-long campaign of abuse by village residents following his conversion to Shia Islam. His own parents-in-law reportedly forced his wife to divorce him over his change in faith.

"Few media outlets reported the incident," says well-known Egyptian Shia activist Ahmed Rassam El-Nafis.

El-Nafis added that although Asfour's prison sentence was commuted from three years to one year, the case did not get the national attention it deserved.

Asfour's story, El-Nafis tells Ahram Online, is an example of a crackdown on religious minority groups, particularly Shias, in post-revolution Egypt.

"Egyptian media publish false stories about Shias, depicting them as the bad guys who are working for Iran to spread Shia Islam; no one cares about the troubles these Egyptians suffer or even their right to citizenship," the activist adds.

This is despite the fact, El-Nafis points out, that for two centuries (969 -1171) Egypt was a Shia nation.

Egypt's Al-Azhar, now the highest seat of Sunni religious authority, was originally a Shia place of worship, founded in 970 in order to spread Shia Islam throughout the world.

"The Mubarak regime targeted Egyptian Shias as a way to garner support from the [anti-Shia] Gulf kingdoms, depicting Egypt as opponents of Shias and Iran," says Shia activist Mohamed El-Derini.

"The current Muslim Brotherhood regime believes that fighting Shias is a way to come closer to God; this is extremely dangerous."

El-Derini was arrested, detained and tortured by Mubarak's (now-defunct) State Security Apparatus several times, despite frequently having no official charges levelled against him.

In a 2005 statement, the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights pointed to "his belonging to the Shia Muslim faith" as the reason why he remained in administrative detention for 15 months.

The activist, currently the head of Egyptian Shia organisation 'Congregation of Ahl Al-Bayt' ('the family of Prophet Mohamed'), subsequently wrote about his experiences of torture at the hands of state security officials in 'Hell's Capital,' a book that led to his re-arrest.

The situation has not changed since Mubarak's ouster, say Egyptian Shias, with many documented cases of attacks and arrests.

In December 2011, the Egyptian Shia community made headlines when a group of them publicly celebrated Ashura, a Shia festival commemorating the martyrdom of Prophet Mohamed's grandson, Imam Al-Hussein, at Old Cairo's Al-Hussein Mosque.

Clashes erupted between local Salafist groups and the attending Shias, which ended with the arrest of dozens of the latter and the mosque's closure.

In May of last year, ultra-conservative Sunni-Muslim groups attempted to destroy what they saw as a Husseiniya (a hall prepared to mark Imam El-Hussein's martyrdom), allegedly built by Tanta lawyer and Shia activist Emad Qandil.

All the Shia activists to whom Ahram Online spoke denied the existence of any Husseiniya halls in Egypt.

This is despite reports last year by several Egyptian and Arab media outlets that a number of such halls had been erected across the country – especially in Cairo's 6 October City, which is home to a sizeable Iraqi Shia community.

El-Nafis, who used to be a member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood before converting to Shia Islam in the 1980s, claims he survived an assassination attempt last year, on account of his being a Shia.

Economic woes

Along with facing arrest and condemnation by local communities, Shia activists told Ahram Online about the "glass ceiling" that Shia communities are increasingly subject to.

"We're under a sort of economic siege, as many of us are forced to leave our jobs when it becomes known that we are Shias," says Shia human rights activist Bahaa Anwar, head of the Fatimid Human Rights Centre, which works to support ethnic and religious minorities in Egypt.

"You have professors in universities who are not promoted as they should be because they are Shias; you have university graduates who can't find decent jobs because of their faith," Anwar asserts.

For decades, international organisations – including the UN, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International – have documented instances in which Egyptian Shias have been targeted for their religious beliefs.

A December 2012 report by UN refugee agency UNHCR highlighted the fact that Shias still cannot openly practice their religious rituals in Egypt.

In the same document, Amnesty International's Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui told the UNHCR that many groups were being prosecuted for alleged 'blasphemy.'

Meanwhile, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom continues to label Egypt as a "country of particular concern" in terms of systematic violations of religious freedom.

Egypt's Shia community, however, rejects the notion of international intervention.

"We are totally against the use of foreign pressure to win our rights. This is why I rejected calls from prominent political activist Saad El-Din Ibrahim to speak abroad about the rights of Egyptian Shias," Derini says.

The fear, the activists explained to Ahram Online, is that a foreign country championing the cause of Egyptian Shias would only confirm one of the most common accusations levelled against Shias in Egypt: that they are agents of Iran.

Hate speech?

Meanwhile, anti-Shia sentiment continues to be disseminated via the internet and the media in Egypt.

Just last week, Mohamed Ismail Makdam, founder of the ultra-orthodox Salafist Call, slammed the Muslim Brotherhood for "allowing Shiism in Egypt."

"Future generations will not forgive us if Shiism is spread in Egypt. They will curse us if we did not fight it," the influential sheikh said in an online video.

In a televised interview last week, well-known Salafist preacher Sheikh Safwat Hegazy blasted a recent government decision to allow Iranian tourists into Egypt, claiming that the visitors would attempt to spread their beliefs in Egypt. "They will lure the poor into converting," Hegazy warned.

Taher El-Hashimi, Shia activist and member of international Shia association Ahl-Al Bayt World, told Ahram Online: "Is spreading Shiism already a crime according to Egyptian law? If it is, then spreading Salafism and Wahhabism [ultra-conservative brands of Islam] is also a crime, since Wahhabism is alien to Egypt and originated in Saudi Arabia."

El-Derini agrees, adding that he believes that Egypt is paying the price for the ongoing war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, particularly since "the Salafists and religious fascists in Egypt are followers of Saudi Wahhabi doctrines."

Egyptian human rights advocates and organisations say there are further problems on the horizon for Egypt's beleaguered Shia community due to the wording of Egypt's new constitution. They say that the national charter does not protect religious minority groups' right to practice their beliefs.

The most controversial article, rights advocates say, is Article 219, which deals with Islamic Law. It reads: "The principles of Islamic Law include holistic evidence, foundational rules, rules of jurisprudence, and credible sources accepted in Sunni doctrines and by the larger community."

The principles of Islamic Law, which are the backbone of Egyptian legislation according to the constitution, are therefore solely based on Sunni beliefs as approved by Al-Azhar.

El-Nafis concludes that, rather than receiving positive discrimination for being a vulnerable minority that is often attacked on the basis of its beliefs, "the constitution only promotes negative discrimination towards Egyptian Shias."

Shia activist El-Hashimi takes it one step further, saying that Article 219 "has been specifically tailored to attack Shias and other non-Sunni Muslim sects."

The number enigma

Much like the estimates of the size of the Coptic-Christian community in Egypt, the number of Shia Egyptians remains a point of contention: there are no official records. While some Shia activists claim the number exceeds eight million, the Salafists say there are only a few thousand.

For their part, activists El-Derini, El-Hashimi and Anwar Bahaa place the number between 800,000 and just under two million. "This figure is increasing, as many people are converting now," El-Hashimi claims.

The Shia community believes that ultraconservative Sunni groups downplay their numbers as a form of oppression.

"There is no official database at CAPMAS [Egypt's official statistics agency], which is a deliberate attempt to ignore any recognition of Egyptian Shiites," said El-Nafis.

Politics and parties

There have been a number of recent public initiatives to raise awareness about the Egyptian Shia issue, including the creation of a Facebook Page, "Egyptian Shia," which discusses the rights of Shias and attempts to explain common misconceptions about the denomination.

In December 2011, El-Nafis announced plans to found a Shiite party called 'The Tahrir Party.' The party, however, was rejected by parliament's political parties committee on legal grounds.

El-Nafis believes this was a deliberate move by the government. "They will come up with any excuse to reject the party," he claimed.

"According to the law, El-Nafis is free to found a party that expresses his thoughts like any other Egyptian," says El-Hashimi, adding that Egyptian Shias are in need of a political party to realise their rights.

Not all Egyptian Shiites agree, however, that forming a party is the right way forward.

"We are searching for common factors and interests in society. This is why I reject religion-based parties altogether," El-Derini says.

Some opposition parties, such as the liberal Free Egyptians Party, have spoken out about Shia rights (in particular reference to the wording of the constitution), "but when it comes to Shias, no party is really adopting our cause or helping us," concludes El-Derini.

Activist Anwar, who was a member of the liberal Ghad El-Thawra Party until February of this year, says this is because opposition parties are preoccupied with dealing with their own issues and demands. "They need to fight for their cause before they can fight for ours," he says.

Anwar resigned from the Ghad El-Thawra Party in objection to party leader Ayman Nour's recent meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. "Ahmedinejad and the Iranian regime are the worst representatives of Shias worldwide," he asserted.

Attempts to bridge

The future does not look bright for the Shia community in Egypt.

Last May, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb chaired a meeting with Islamist forces – including scholars, Muslim Brotherhood members and Salafists – at which they declared their total rejection of "attempts to spread Shiism in Egypt."

In February of this year, at a historic meeting between the Iranian president and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the latter demanded that Ahmedinajed refrain from promoting Shiism in Sunni Egypt.

There have, however, been cursory attempts to bridge the growing divide between the two main branches of Islam in the form of 'regional dialogue' conferences, recently revived by Al-Azhar. But against the backdrop of rising religious conservatism, these meetings have led to little change on the ground.

"There were honest intentions for dialogue from both sides in the past. Unfortunately, with the interference of politics and the rise of those who believe they are divinely ordained to rule Egypt, this has ended," El-Derini says.

Nevertheless, some Shia activists still have hope for meaningful change.

"We have faith in the Egyptian people," says El-Nafis. "We aren't afraid of extremists because if it were not for the Egyptian people and their tolerance, we would have been killed a long time ago."

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/67170.aspx