Egyptian top cleric says Muslims 'must obey' Sisi

Egypt's former Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ali Gomaa, has said in the latest episode of his TV show that obeying Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi is a religious duty for Egyptians even if he oppresses them.

The cleric quoted in aid supposed sayings by the  Prophet to back his calls for blind support for Egypt’s military leader turned president.

“If a leader beats you, takes your property and tortures you, is that a respectable and God fearing leader? No that’s an oppressor… but listen to this,” the former Grand Mufti said on his programme Wallahu Alam on pro-government satellite channel CBC.

If you say you’re a Muslim then obey, your Prophet says ‘shut up’ so shut up - Ali Gomaa

“If there is a leader on Earth, obey him,” said Gomaa, quoting a hadith– a prophetic saying on any subject.

“When I look at Egypt I see it has a leader called the president of the republic who all of us are rallying behind. If the president does me wrong or doesn’t pay attention to misdeeds against me or whatever… I will obey the leader and continue to support him,” said the former Grand Mufti.

When his guest said that some might question this logic, Gomaa responded: “The Prophet said ‘shut up’. Why are you going to disobey the Prophet? Because you’re a revolutionary. If you say you’re a Muslim then obey, your Prophet says ‘shut up’ so shut up.”

It is worth mentioning that the Prophet goes on to say in the hadith that when a leader flays and steals from his subjects, it is a sign the end of the world is nigh.

Gomaa was appointed Mufti by deposed President Hosni Mubarak, and has been a very vocal supporter of the 2013 military coup as well as a staunch opponent of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the aftermath of the Rabaa massacre, Gomaa said: “Shoot them in the heart. Blessed are those who kill them, and those who are killed by them. We must cleanse our Egypt from these riffraff, they shame us.”

This was in all likelihood a thinly veiled reference to the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, of whom 900 were killed and more than 3,000 injured in the military raid on the sit-in at Rabaa square.