Koran fatwa stirs controversy in Cairo

CAIRO, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The Egyptian government and leading clerics rejected a fatwa banning Muslims from listening to the Koran in public places.

Sheik Gamal Qutb, who led a fatwa committee at the prestigious al-Azhar mosque and university in Cairo, said Muslims should not listen to recitations of the holy Koran while in public.

"Listening to the Koran in public and crowded places implies lack of respect," he said. "People who do that deal with the Koran with carelessness."

Qutb complained that Muslims who listen to the Koran while engaged in other activities are not focused on its teaching.

Ahmed al-Sayeh, a theology professor at al-Azhar, rejected the claims, saying Muslims who listen in public are more devout because of the practice.

"Listening to Quran in public places does not imply any carelessness," he told al-Arabiya. "On the contrary, those who do that honor the Quran to the extent that they need to listen to it everywhere."

Qutb maintained his position, however, arguing that Muslims who listened in public were not meditating on the teachings of the holy book.

"Is this respect for the words of God?" he asked.