Press Release
The Egyptian President's Statements Regarding the "Enlightened Discourse" and the Marginalization of Doctrine and Sharia Law
(Translated)

Egypt has recently witnessed a new wave of official statements aimed at subjugating the nation and reshaping religious discourse under state auspices. The most prominent of these was the statement made by the head of the regime during his meeting with imams from the Ministry of Religious Endowments at the Military Academy, when he described 1400 years of Islamic heritage as "chaff and rubbish," and called for an "enlightened discourse" that would safeguard freedom instead of Aqeedah (doctrine), speaking of the Lord and His Reverence instead of Sharia law. These words—with all their implications—are not merely a political opinion, but rather strike at the very foundations of the Deen itself, and represent a blatant disregard for the status of Aqeedah and Sharia as the origin of Islam and the pillar of the state in the Islamic legal (Shari’) framework.

Islam established its creed as the foundation of the state, from which the system of life emanates, and from which rulings and laws emanate. Throughout history, the Islamic state has been founded on this principle, beginning in Medina, where its constitution was formulated by Divine Revelation, not by human whims or the philosophies of nations.

To describe the heritage passed down through the centuries as "chaff and rubbish" is a direct attack on the fuqahaa’, mujtihadeen, mufasireen, muhaditheen [jurists, scholars of Islamic law, exegetes, and hadith scholars] who built the Ummah's sciences. It ignores the fact that Islamic Sharia is preserved in its texts and rulings, and that the Ummah only experienced decline when it abandoned Sharia, not when it adhered to it.

Furthermore, the call to "protect freedom, not faith" is a subversion of the Islamic Shari’ concept. For Allah Almighty has made the preservation of the Deen foremost of necessities, taking precedence over the preservation of life and property. Freedom in Islam is not absolute, but rather bound by Divine Revelation, because humankind is accountable, not possessing absolute free will. Therefore, the fundamental principle governing the actions of people is adherence to the rulings of Islamic law (Ahkam Sharia).

The talk about the Lord is a deliberate attempt to guide the audience toward forging a new bond for the people of Egypt, one that transcends Islam and the brotherhood of its faith. This new bond is based on "citizenship," not based on Islamic rule. This echoes the call previously adopted by the regime as part of its efforts to revitalize and monopolize religious discourse, a call rooted in human brotherhood and the so-called Abrahamic faith. In a declared war on Islam, Sisi presents himself to the Kafir (disbeliever) colonial West as the spearhead of this campaign, waged against Islam and its tenets.

Demanding that imams adhere to the concepts of the "time" at the expense of the texts is a demand that contradicts the Almighty's saying:

[فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ]

“So judge between them by what Allah has revealed” [Al-Ma'idah 5:48], And His (swt) words:

[وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْراً أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ]

“It is not for a believing man or woman—when Allah and His Messenger decree a matter—to have any other choice in that matter.” [Al-Ahzab 33:36].

Since the fall of the Khilafah (Caliphate), the West has sought to reshape Muslim countries on secular foundations, separating religion from governance and reducing Islam to spiritual rituals with no impact on political or economic reality. These statements by Sisi are not far removed from this context; rather, they are a direct extension of declared plans known as the "re-engineering of the religious sphere," adopted by Western think tanks (Carnegie, Chatham House, RAND), which call for:

1. Excluding Sharia law from governance and legislation.

2. Forming a religious elite subservient to the ruling power, producing an official discourse that serves political interests.

3. Integrating religious institutions into the security and military apparatus to ensure their loyalty.

What happened at the military academy was exactly what those reports recommended: Transforming the imam from a bearer of a Shari’ message into a tool for reshaping public consciousness according to the requirements of the existing regime, not according to the dictates of Divine Revelation.

Islam did not reduce Aqeedah to a mere idea in the Muslim's mind, but rather established it as an intellectual foundation upon which systems of governance, economics, education, foreign policy, international relations, healthcare, and all other aspects of state life are built, including its obligations to care for the people according to Islamic principles. When faith is replaced by "modern" human concepts, the state becomes a subservient entity to dominant powers, devoid of identity and vulnerable to foreign pressures.

Sharia, or the rulings of Islam, regulate the relationship between the ruler and the ruled, ensuring justice, proper governance, accountability of the ruler, equitable distribution of wealth, and genuine protection of society and its security—not oppression and coercion under threat. The further a state deviates from the rulings of Islam, the closer it approaches injustice and tyranny, as we clearly see today in its economic, social, and security policies.

O People of Egypt al-Kinanah: Your Deen is not “chaff”, and your heritage is not “rubbish”; rather, it is the light that illuminated the world for fourteen centuries. The backwardness we see and experience is not due to Islam, but to its exclusion from governance. Preserving your faith and your Sharia is not an intellectual luxury, but a necessity to save you from political, economic, and moral collapse. Do not allow anyone to strip you of your identity or sow doubt in your hearts about your religion. Egypt's revival will not come from military academies that reshape religious discourse, but from the return of Islam to its rightful place as the foundation of life and the state.

O Soldiers of Egypt al-Kinanah: You are the sons of a great Ummah that carried Islam to the east and west of the earth. Your responsibility before Allah is immense: to protect the Ummah, its Deen, and its honor. Do not be part of a project that aims to change its creed and entrench the separation of Islamic rulings from its life. Your strength lies not only in weapons, but also in being protectors of Allah's Deen. Know that the continuation of injustice will not serve Egypt, nor will it serve you. Rather, it serves those who seek to weaken it and keep it subservient. So cast off the humiliation and subjugation of subservience, and rise up in support of Allah, His Messenger, and His Deen. Make your allegiance to the creed and its rulings, and let your goal be the establishment of a state that lays its foundations, implements it, and carries its message of guidance and light to the world. Carry the banner of the Messenger of Allah (saw) with the respect it deserves, so that Allah may accept it from you, and victory may be at your hands, and you may attain a great triumph. You will remember what we tell you, and we entrust our affairs to Allah.

[وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَن يَفْتِنُوكَ عَن بَعْضِ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ]

“And judge between them ˹O Prophet˺ by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires. And beware, so they do not lure you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you.” [Al-Ma'idah 5:49]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Egypt