Shaykh of al-Azhar Condemns bin Laden's Burial at Sea; Egyptian Government Has No Comment on Killing

Translated from almoslim.net, 2 May 2011:

The Shaykh of al-Azhar University in Egypt, Ahmad al-Tayyib, condemned what was circulated by media outlets concerning the body of al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden being thrown into the sea after being killed by American commandos in Pakistan. He stressed that this was contrary to all religious values and humanitarian norms.

Al-Tayyib stated that it was not permissible per the Islamic shari'a to treat the dead in this manner, no matter their religion or sect--to honor the dead is to bury them.

For his part, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil 'Arabi said that he "had no comment" on the killing of al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden at the hands of American forces in Pakistan. He sufficed himself with stressing that his country was opposed to "all forms of violence."

Al-'Arabi said to reporters right after meeting with his British counterpart William Hague in Cairo: "Concerning the announcement of the death of bin Laden, Egypt is against all forms of violence, and the Egyptian government has no comment." ...