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For the Islamist group, see Mujahideen Shura Council. For the Saudi legislature, see Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia.

Egyptian Shura Council مجلس الشورى المصري Maǧlis aš-Šūrā al-Masrī
Type
Type	Upper house
Leadership
Speaker	Ahmed Fahmy, FJP since 28 February 2012
Deputy Speaker	Tarek Sahri, Al-Nour Party
Deputy Speaker	Mustafa Hammouda, Wafd Party
Structure
Members	270
Political groups	Democratic Alliance (105)   Islamist Bloc (45)   New Wafd (14)   Egyptian Bloc (8)   Freedom (3)   Democratic Peace (1)   Independents (4)   Presidential appointees (90)
Elections
Last election	2012
Meeting place
Egyptian Shura Council, Cairo, Egypt
Website
www.parliament.gov.eg

Egypt

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Egypt

Government Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Chairman Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Prime Minister (List) Kamal Ganzouri Cabinet Legislature Parliament Shura Council People's Assembly Judiciary Judicial system Supreme Constitutional Court Divisions Governorates Regions Elections Elections Presidential: 2005, 2012 Parliamentary: 2010, 2011–12 Shura Council: 2010, 2012 Municipal: 2008, 2012 Political parties Political parties Former political parties Foreign policy Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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The Shura Council (Arabic: مجلس الشورى‎, Egyptian Arabic: [ˈmæɡles eʃˈʃuːɾɑ]) is the upper house of Egyptian bicameral Parliament. Its name roughly translates into English as "the Consultative Council". The lower house of parliament is the People's Assembly.

The Shura Council was created in 1980 through a Constitutional Amendment. The Council is composed of 264 members of which 176 members are directly elected and 88 are appointed by the President of the Republic for six-year terms. Membership is rotating, with one half of the Council renewed every three years.

The Shura Council's legislative powers are limited. It chose the members of the Constituent Assembly of Egypt. On most matters of legislation, the People's Assembly retains the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses.

Members[link]

The Shura Council must be made up of 264 members, two thirds of the council (176) is elected by a direct ballot, and half of the Council must be farmers or workers, the remaining third (88) is appointed by the President of the Republic.

Term of membership and activities[link]

The term membership of the Shura Council is six years. However, renewed election and appointment of 50% of the total number of members is required every three years, and it is always possible to re-elect or re-appoint those members whose membership has expired. The Constitution has provided many guarantees whereby the Council is able to carry out its tasks and activities. Such Guarantees include:

• The Council may not be dissolved except by a Presidential decree and only in case of necessity.
• Members of the Council have parliamentary immunity.

Candidates criteria[link]

In accordance with the law, any candidate wishing to be elected to the Shura Council should meet the following conditions:

• Hold the Egyptian nationality as well as being the son/daughter of an Egyptian national.
• Be not less than 35 years old upon election or nomination.
• Have completed military service or be exempted therefrom.

The Shura Council member is elected by the absolute majority of valid votes cast in the elections.

Powers[link]

Although the powers of the Shura Council are not as extensive or effective as the People’s Assembly, its jurisdiction as provided by Articles (194) and (195) of the Constitution covers the studying and proposing of what is deemed necessary to preserve the principles of the July 23rd revolution and the May 15th, 1971 Corrective Revolution. The Shura Council is to be consulted on the following (Article 195):

The council must ratify:

• Constitutional amendment bills.
• All treaties or agreements affecting Egypt’s territorial integrity or sovereignty.

In case of disagreements with the People’s Assembly, a combined committee is formed composed of both chambers’ chairmen and seven members from each chamber. The proposed bill is reconsidered in both chambers. If either still disagrees, the issue is once again in a joint session of both chambers to reach a common statement.

The council is considered on a consultative capacity for:

• Drafts, and general plans for social and economic development.
• Bills referred to the Council by the President of the Republic.
• All matters relating to the state’s general policy or international issues referred to the Shura Council by the President of the Republic.

In this case, the council submits its decision to the president and the People’s Assembly.

Parliamentary elections[link]

There are currently 18 recognized political parties covering a broad political spectrum. However, the formation of political parties based on religion is prohibited by the Constitution. Opposition and political pressure groups, like the Muslim Brotherhood, are active in Egypt and make their views public, and they are represented at various levels in the political system. However, power is concentrated in the hands of the President of the Republic and the National Democratic Party which retains a super-majority in the Peoples Assembly.

The November 2000 parliamentary elections are generally regarded to have been more transparent and better executed than past elections. This is due to the new law put into force establishing universal judicial monitoring of polling stations. On the other hand, opposition parties continue to lodge credible complaints about electoral manipulation by the government. There are significant restrictions on the political process and freedom of expression for non-governmental organizations, including professional syndicates and organizations promoting respect for human rights.

Latest election[link]

Note that, prior to the 2011–2012 elections, the Council and Assembly had both been dissolved by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces following the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.

2008 fire[link]

On 19 August 2008, a huge fire seriously damaged most of the 19th-century palace that houses the Shura Council in Cairo. At least thirteen people were hurt in the fire, which destroyed the parliamentary archive room and several meeting chambers.^[1]

According to the Egyptian Channel 1, 99% of the documents have been destroyed in the fire.^{[citation needed]}

On 21 November 2009, President Mubarak inaugurated the new Shura Council Building, which was renovated by Al Mokaweloon Al Arab.

See also[link]

• Shura
• List of Speakers of the Shura Council

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

This article is for the Egyptian-Canadian professor. For other uses of the name see Al-Badawi.

Jamal A. Badawi (Arabic: جمال بدوي‎) is an Egyptian born Muslim Canadian former professor in the Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is an author, preacher and speaker on Islam.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. He left for the U.S. in the 1960s and completed his Masters and doctorate, both in the department of Business Administration, at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.^[2] He has been serving as a volunteer imam of the local Muslim community in the Halifax Regional Municipality since 1970. He cites Hassan al-Banna and Muslim Brotherhood as his source for inspiration.^[1]

In addition to his participation in lectures, seminars and interfaith dialogues in North America, Badawi was invited as a guest speaker in various functions throughout the world. He is also active in several Islamic organizations, including the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), and the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR).^[3] He is also a member of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the founder and chairman of the Islamic Information Foundation, a non-profit foundation seeking to promote a better understanding of Islam and Muslims towards non-Muslims. He has lectured extensively in North America and abroad, and speaks on a variety of topics including Islam and Christianity and is a guest scholar at The American Learning Institute for Muslims.^[4]

Badawi has authored several books and articles on Islam. He also researched, designed and presented a 352-segment television series on Islam, aired in Canada, the US and other countries.^[5] Audio and video copies of this series are widely available.

Badawi is married and the father of five children.

Publications[link]

• 1,000 Questions on Islam Islamic Book Services,
• Selected prayers Oscar Publications, Dehi 2007; ISBN 81-7435-533-2
• Gender Equity in Islam: Basic Principles American Trust Publications, 1995; ISBN 978-0-89259-159-6
• Leadership: An Islamic Perspective (jointly with Beekun Rafiq Issa) Amana Publications, 1999; ISBN 0-915957-94-9
• Muhammad in the Bible Small pamphlet, 1982
• Status of Women in Islam Small pamphlet, 1976
• Muslim Woman’s Dress According to the Qur'an and the Sunnah and Islamic Ethics Small pamphlet, 1980
• Polygamy in Islamic Law Small pamphlet
• Islam: A Brief Look Small pamphlet

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dr. Jamal Badawi Videos
• Jamal Badawi at Saint Mary's University
• Fedwa Wazwaz Prominent Muslim Scholar to Speak in MN: ‘Is Coexistence Feasible?’ at Engage Minnesota: A voice for Minnesotan Muslims, 15 February 2008
• Lectures by Jamal Badawi on DVD and CD
• Jamal Badawi audio and video lectures from Halal Tube
• A high quality video collection of Dr. Jamal Badawi's debates and lectures

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2011)

Siraj Wahhaj
Born	Jeffrey Kearse (1950-03-11) March 11, 1950 (age 62) Brooklyn, New York City New York, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Islamic scholar
Religion	Sunni Islam
Spouse	Wadiyah Wahhaj
Website
www.mana-net.org

Siraj Wahhaj (born Jeffrey Kearse, March 11, 1950) is an African-American convert to Islam. He is imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA).

Early life[link]

Wahhaj was born as Jeffrey Kearse and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His mother Gloria Sage was a nurse and his father a hospital dietitian. His brother is writer and editor Gregory S. Kearse of Silver Spring, Maryland. He went to church religiously and went on to become a Sunday school teacher as a teenager in a Baptist church.^[1] Wahhaj then later went on to the New York University on a partial scholarship. He also played basketball where he met a teammate who interested him in the Nation of Islam, an African-American movement.

In 1969 he ended his schooling and joined the Nation of Islam, changing his name to Jeffrey12x.^[1] During this time he was vocal in his belief that “white people are devils." He said of this, “I preached it. I taught it.”^[2] Wahhaj says of his interest in the Nation: "It wasn't the theology that attracted me to the Nation of Islam at all... It was the kind of do-for-self black pride."

When Elijah Muhammed died in 1975, "His teachings began to unravel in my mind", and he became a Sunni Muslim with the encouragement of Muhammad's son Warith Deen Mohammed. Mohammed took over and reorganized the Nation of Islam, urging members to come to orthodox Islam. Kearse then changed his name again to Siraj Wahhaj, which means "bright light" in Arabic. He was chosen to study Islam at the Umm al-Qura university of Mecca for a period of four months in 1978.^[2] He also briefly taught a course in Islamic studies at Howard University, where Johari Abdul-Malik is the chaplain.

Public Life[link]

Wahhaj is a prolific speaker in America. He makes many appearances at major North American Muslim conventions, and numerous forums and lectures in New England. His audio and video lectures are also popular in America's Muslim community. He is known to encourage Muslims to be God-fearing, enjoining good and forbid evil, practice regular charity, stay away from drugs, abstain from pre-marital relations, and other issues as well. He has also appeared on several national television talk shows and has had interviews with several media outlets.

In 1991 Wahhaj offered an invocation (opening prayer) to the United States House of Representatives. He was the first Muslim to do so.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hosted Wahhaj and notable scholars for a Ramadan feast of lamb, lentils and saffron rice.

Activities[link]

Masjid At-Taqwa Mosque[link]

Masjid At-Taqwa, in Brooklyn, New York

In 1981 Wahhaj started his own mosque, Masijd Al-Taqwa, in a friend's apartment in Brooklyn. Later they bought an abandoned clothing store which is where Masjid At-Taqwa still resides today. The Masjid has expanded since then and is usually overcrowded on days of Jummah (Friday prayer).

Anti drug movement[link]

In 1988 he led his community in an anti-drug patrol in which they staked out drug houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant in the cold of winter for 40 days and nights, forcing the closure of 15 drug houses. This effort received high praise from the New York City Police Department and the media.

Organizational Involvement[link]

Since that time, Wahhaj has been active in many Islamic organizations. He has been vice president of the Islamic Society of North America since 1997 and has served on the Majlis al Shura, a consultative council of Islamic scholars, since 1987. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the American Muslim Council and has also served on the national board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

In 2005 Wahhaj was elected as the Amir (Chair) of MANA's Diwan (Executive committee). MANA was founded on the independent ideas of many scholars including Wahhaj, Zaid Shakir, Hamza Yusuf, Talib Abdur Rashid, Asim Abdur Rashid, Ihsan Bagby, R. Mukhtar Curtis, Sherman Jackson, Amir al-Islam and many others. The organization's initials stand for Muslim Alliance in North America. The organization has since held two conventions in 2007 and 2008, in which the topics of community activism, criminal justice and marriage were given great concern.

Recent speeches[link]

Wahhaj is still the resident imam of Masjid Al- Taqwa as well as a speaker across the country. One of his most recent speeches was given on September 5, 2009 during the "United Against Malaria" conference, were he helped to raise money for people of Africa suffering from Malaria. On March 27, 2010, he gave an emotional speech about the Youth at Darul Islah Mosque, in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Lawsuits[link]

A jury threw out Wahhaj's $5 million (libel) lawsuit against Curtis Sliwa for claiming the mosque had run guns to Canada, after the Guardian Angels had helped the mosque fight a crack epidemic in the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Battle with Prostate Cancer[link]

Wahhaj, having publicly spoken about his battle with hyper tension stated in a letter posted on his website that he'd been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

As a result of being thoroughly checked by the competent doctors in Atlanta , I have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Al Hamdulillah, inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. (All Praise is for Allah. Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.) My diagnosis is not as bad as it sounds on the surface. Many men have been cured from prostate cancer. My doctors are very optimistic about my cure, and so am I. InshaAllah the treatment should last about two months.^{[citation needed]}

Months later, Wahhaj wrote another letter on helpimamsiraj.com where he stated that he was now cured of the disease:

Al Hamdulillah, I'm happy to announce to MANA readers and supporters that my major treatment for prostate cancer has been successfully completed. This has been a major milestone in my life and I thank Allah, Most High, for His purification, love and mercy. Likewise, it is through Allah's love and mercy that my treatment has been paid for with help from so many of you. The generous donations, acts of kindness, duas, and overall love shown to me and my family has been a true blessing and is deeply appreciated. Jazakallah khairan! Your highest reward is with Allah, Most High. Many of you want to know how I'm feeling. This is an easy question to answer. Al Hamdulillah, I feel very good. I think I'm in very good condition and I actually feel more healthy now than I have in years. I'm exercising everyday, eating healthy and am more conscious of making the best choices for my health. I really feel I'm on the right track in terms of achieving and maintaining a lifestyle of wellness. In terms of the efficacy of my treatment, my doctor has informed me that we are "right on target". Insha'Allah, after one month I will return for an evaluation, and again three months later for a full examination. With the full examination we will have a good idea of where things are, insha'Allah.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Him Promoting A Cair Fundraiser
• Muslim Alliance in North America
• Siraj Wahhaj Lectures
• ImamSWahhaj.com Official Site for CDs/DVDs by Imam Siraj
• Siraj Wahhaj's interview on Australian radio
• Imam Siraj Wahhaj on IBN MEDIA
• Guide For Humanity