There isa general reaction to Freemasonry in the Islamic world. After Clement XIIexcommunicated Freemasonry in 1738, under the pressure of his Christian subjectsand with the approval of the ulema (Islamic theologians) who were thinkingthat If the Pope declares thatFreemasons arte atheists, there must be some truth in his words ,SultanMahmut I outlawed Freemasonry. Since that date Freemason became synonym toatheist in the Ottoman Empire. After thedeclaration of the second constitutional monarchy in the Empire (1908), the Islamic reaction organized a revolt in Istanbul. This revolthas been crashed by the Action Army and Sultan Abdulhamid II has beendethroned. The Action Army had been organized and commanded by Freemasons. The committee of five deputiesthat came to announce to Abdulhamit that he had been dethroned, were Freemasons,all five of them. These facts have reinforced the existing reaction toFreemasonry by the radical Islamic community. The Sultan was also the Caliph ofall Islam and the guardian of the sacred grounds in Mecca and Medina. Anythingthat happened in the Ottoman Empire influenced the Arab and Islamic world atlarge. In theyears preceding the Second World War and also during the War, the Nazipropaganda of a Judeo Masonic plot to govern the world, the actions ofSheriff Hussein in Jerusalem and finally the creation of the State of Israelhave all strengthened this anti-Masonic feeling, this time with a touch ofanti-Semitism going with it. The Arabs regard Freemasonry as a force againstIslam, which even makes fun of Islam, and which was the cause of the success ofEuropean imperialism in Arabia. The atheist and anti clerical stance of theGrand Orient of France is reinforcing this current. Freemasonryis outlawed, in general, in Arab countries. There was a flourishing Freemasonryin Algeria, before it gained independence. Freemasonry is prohibited in all Arabcountries except Lebanon and Morocco. The lodges laboring in the American basesin these countries are an exception. MOROCCO The GrandLodge of Morocco has been consecrated by the GLNF in1999. M.W. Bro. ClaudeCharboniaud, Grand Master of the GLNF, wishing to accomplish this ceremony withthe participation of the Grand Master of a Grand Lodge existing in an Islamiccountry, has gracefully invited the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Turkey,Bro. Sahir Talat Akev, for a joint consecration ceremony. Our Grand Master couldnot come because of his ill health and he passed away to the Eternal East, onthe 14th June 2000, the day of the consecration of the Grand Lodge ofMorocco. The Grand Lodge of Turkey had been represented by another Grand Officer. Earlier,on the 23rd March 1973, the High Court of Casablanca, after a longcourt procedure, had given the verdict that Freemasonry was compatible withIslam. This verdict has been published in Tesviye No. 51[1],both in Turkish and in its official French translation.  EGYPT TheEgyptian Freemasonry had been hand in hand with Ottoman Freemasonry. When theGrand Lodge of Turkey, after being recognized and later reconsecrated by theGrand Lodge of Scotland, to obtain its recognition by the UGLE and the G.L. ofIreland, proved that its origin was regular showing that the Lodge Resne, one ofits founding lodges, had its charter from the Grand Lodge of Egypt, a regularobedience at the time. The GrandLodge of Egypt had regular and irregular periods in its history. Halim Pasha, the son od Mehmet Ali Pasha from Kavala who was the firstKhedive (viceroy) of Egypt, founded the Scottish Rite in Turkey in 1861 and inEgypt in 1866, and has been supreme Grand Commander in both countries. As theGrand Lodge of Egypt started to accept some irregular rites, as the Rite ofMemphis Misraïm, the UGLE declared it irregular and founded its ownDistrict Grand Lodge in 1867, with Halim Pasha as its first Master. The nephewof Halim Pasha, the Khedive Ismail who had the Suez Channel opened, was probablya Freemason, but there is no written record to prove it. On the other hand, hisson has been initiated without any doubt. In 1952,after the King Farouk had been dethroned, Freemasonry was disgraced and wasclosed after the 1956 Suez crisis, by Gamal Abdelnasser. Today, inspite that the Rotarian wife of Husnu Mubarek, President of Egypt, organizes theforeign relations of the Egyptian Rotary, this organization is regarded as acamouflaged Freemasonry by the radical Islamic community. MustafaEl-Amin, in his book,Freemasonry,Ancient Egypt and the Islamic Destiny compares the symbolism of the Ancient Egyptian mysteries andIslamic scriptures with those of the craft. According to El-Amin, although theMasonic rites and symbols are derived from Egypt, they have reached us throughthe Jews. Thus, the Jews had been operational in the ridiculization of thewisdom of Egypt in Masonic lodges. The writer says that the Shriners, with theirfez and crescents are mocking the Islamic religion. The problem ofMasonry mocking the Moslem Faith is also treated by Dr. Paul Rich[2];he states that:The prohibition ofMasonry in the Muslim Countries of the Middle East is paltry because there are aspects of Masonry which religiouspeople feel verge on mocking their faith. An example of Masonic ritual whichoffends some, and that shows the gulf between believers and Masons, is theresemblance between the assassination and exhumation of the candidate in thethird or Master Mason degree and religious accounts of resurrection. Almostnothing can be said to correct their common interpretation of the third degreethat the Mason is saved by Freemasonry and not by religion. El Azhar University in Cairo and the Islamic Jurisdictional College[3] Possiblythe most influential body in promulgating and interpreting Islamic Law is theIslamic Jurisdictional College (IJC)[4].At its meeting on 15 July 1978, it issued an opinion concerning TheFreemasons Organization. The IJCdeclared: After complete research concerning this organization, based onwritten accounts from many sources, we have determined that[5]: Freemasonry is aclandestine organization, which conceals or reveals its system, depending on thecircumstances. Its actual principles are hidden from members, except for chosenmembers of its higher degrees. The members of theorganization, worldwide, are drawn from men without preference for theirreligion, faith or sect. The organizationattracts members on the basis of providing personal benefits. It traps men intobeing politically active, and its aims are unjust. New members participatein ceremonies of different names and symbols, and are frightened from disobeyingits regulations and orders. Members are free topractice their religion, but only members who are atheists are promoted to itshigher degrees, based on how much they are willing to serve its dangerousprinciples and plans. It is a politicalorganization. It has served all revolutions, military and politicaltransformations. In all dangerous changes a relation to this organizationappears either exposed or veiled. It is a JewishOrganization in its roots. Its secret higher international administrative boardare Jews and it promotes Zionist activities. Its primary objectivesare the distraction of all religions and it distracts Muslims from Islam. It tries to recruitinfluential financial, political, social, or scientific people to utilize them.It does not consider applicants it cannot utilize. It recruits kings, primeministers, high government officials and similar individuals. It has branches underdifferent names as a camouflage, so people cannot trace its activities,especially if the name of Freemasonry has opposition. These hiddenbranches are known as Lions, Rotary and others. They have wicked principles thatcompletely contradict the rules of Islam. There is a clear relationship betweenFreemasonry, Judaism and International Zionism. It has controlled the activitiesof high Arab officials in the Palestinian problem. It has limited their duties,obligations and activities for the benefit of Judaism and International Zionism.
Giventhat Freemasonry involves itself in dangerous activities, it is a great hazard,with wicked objectives, the Jurisdictional Synod determines that Freemasonry isa dangerous, destructive organization. Any Muslim, who affiliates with it,knowing the truth of its objectives, is an infidel to Islam.
[1]Turkish Masonic magazine [2]Masonic Musings, The Victorian Lodge of Research No.218, The Craft in IslamicCountries [4]In the El Azhar University, Cairo (C.L.) [5]This is an edited summery |
