http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1044065.html
Last update - 22:35 06/12/2008
Egyptian paper urges top cleric to purify his hand after Peres handshake
By The Associated Press
Tags: Egypt, UN, Peres, Israel news
Several opposition newspapers and lawmakers in Egypt called on the
country's top Islamic cleric to resign Saturday for shaking the Israeli
president's hand at a conference.
Egyptian media has been running a photo of Grand Sheik Mohammed Seyed
Tantawi shaking hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres almost daily since
the two met at a United Nations-sponsored interfaith dialogue in New York last
month. The photo has been accompanied by critical editorials and comments by
lawmakers.
Al-Osboa newspaper said in an editorial Saturday that Peres' hands were
tainted with the blood of thousands of Palestinians who have lost their homes
in Israel.
The paper called on Tantawi - the sheik of al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's
pre-eminent institution and oldest university - to ritually purify his hands
after the shake.
Egypt is one of the only Arab countries to make peace with Israel, but
the attitude of the country's citizens toward the Jewish state remains cool
over the treatment of the Palestinians.
Tantawi, who was appointed by the Egyptian government, was quoted in
Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and several others as saying he shook the Israeli
president's hand without recognizing him.
A spokesman for al-Azhar was quoted in the paper as blaming Tantawi's
handlers for not paying attention and misdirecting the cleric toward Peres.
Hisham Kassem, an Egyptian activist and publisher, expressed doubt about
Tantawi's version of the story, saying "how can you go to an interfaith meeting
and not know who Peres is?"
"Tantawi needs to be honest with the press," Kassem told The Associated
Press. "So what if he shook the man's hand? War and anger has gained us
nothing. There must be time for negotiation."
Peres' office declined comment on what it called Egypt's internal
matters.
But at the time of the meeting, his office said the encounter was
pleasant, and Tantawi and Peres sat next to each during a dinner and had a very
serious conversation.
Many Egyptian opposition lawmakers have called for the cleric to step
down over the handshake.
"I feel shame because the person who did this is the head of one of
Islam's greatest institutions," lawmaker Hamdein Sabaheen was quoted as saying
Saturday in Al-Dustour newspaper.
The UN-sponsored interfaith conference held in New York in mid-November
attracted 80 countries and 14 world leaders, including Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah.
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