The amendment of Article II of the Egyptian Constitution, which states that "Islam is the religion of the state," would serve to subvert the ruling order, Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the highest religious authority in the Sunni-Muslim world, said on Wednesday.
Al-Tayeb added that Article II represented one of the “fundamentals” of the state.
Article II states: "Islam is the state religion, Arabic the official language, and the principles of Islamic Sharia the main source of legislation."
Al-Tayeb also said that Al-Azhar's grand sheikh should be elected to the post rather than appointed, provided elections were conducted in a free and fair manner–unlike Egyptian parliamentary polls held last year.
