Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Following the sudden demise of Egypt’s first ever elected President, Dr. Mohammed Morsi, Indians across the country offered funeral prayers for him on Tuesday. This was also partly because they wanted to raise their voices against Egypt’s current president, Abdel Fettah Al-Sisi.
The funeral prayers were held in reputed educational institutions – the likes of Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, Kashmir University, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema, Al Jamia Al Islamia, Kerala, and Jamiatul Falah, Azamgarh among others.
Morsi, who was incarcerated after the military coup plotted against him by the erstwhile army chief and current president of Egypt, Al-Sisi, passed away on June 17 after having fainted in the court during his hearing. But the Human Rights Group holds the Egyptian government accountable for the death of Morsi. After his death, the government even banned funeral prayers in Egypt. When people from Morsi’s village in Nile Delta made preparations to offer the prayer, they witnessed the heavy deployment of security forces. Morsi was, therefore, buried in Cairo where only his family members were allowed to take part.
Expressing his grief over the sad demise of Morsi, Darul Uloom Deoband’s Muhtamim (Vice Chancellor) Mohammed Sufyan Qasmi in his press statement said that since the collective funeral prayer for Morsi was not allowed by the Egyptian government in his country, it was offered all over the world. It shows that Morsi was on the path of truth and justice and was close to Allah.
Kerala Solidarity Movement’s President Nahas Mala, who also offered the funeral prayer in Kerala’s Calicut, said that he offered the prayer to raise his voice against the dictatorial regime of Al-sisi.
“We held a condolence meeting and offered a funeral prayer here in Calicut (Kerala) to extend our sympathy and support to Morsi. He was the legitimate president of Egypt but was overthrown by the military. He was incarcerated and denied even basic human rights in jail for six long years. Hopefully, his martyrdom will influence more people to protest against the dictatorial regime of Abdul Fettah Al-Sisi. This is the message we want to spread through our prayers. We also want the political prisoners currently jailed in Egypt to be freed as well, the numberbeing more than 60,000,” said Mala.
He further added that indeed Morsi had fainted in the court but afterwards he might have very well been killed by the Egyptian government. This is what had happened with the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Imam Hasanul Banna Shaheed. He also pointed to the reports of Human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which said that Morsi was denied human rights in the prison.
Reacting to Morsi’s death, Human Rights Watch said that Egyptian government must bear the responsibility for the premature death of Morsi, alluding to the fact that his death was inevitable owing to how he was denied proper treatment in jail.
Abul Ala Syed Subhani, who offered the funeral prayer of Morsi at Kashmir University, said that a large number of people turned up to offer the funeral prayer at the venue.
“Morsi has united the Muslim community. Apart from monarchical states like Saudi Arabia, Morsi has earned his place in the heart of every section of Muslim communities across the world”, he extols.
Darul Ulum Deoban also issued a powerful statement on his death. It’s not only Morsi but Muslims have also given the Muslim Brotherhood a place in their hearts,” said Subhani. He too believes that Morsi did not die of natural causes, but was killed, alluding to murder and terrorism.
Jamia student Azhar Ansar, who organized funeral prayer at the university, said that more than 150 people took part in it. He had organised the funeral prayer in honour of Morsi because he believed in the cause for which Morsi stood for.
“Morsi was the first democratically elected president of Egypt. In 2012, he was elected but he was overthrown by the military in 2013. He was arrested and kept in jail. The human rights group said that the jail that Morsi was kept in, it is solely meant for political prisoners where they are kept until they die. Morsi was not just a person – he wielded influence all over the world and was well-known in the Islamic movement,” said Ansar.
