An Egyptian cleric has issued a fatwa authorising the killing of Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the IAEA who is campaigning for reform in Egypt.

The fatwa, from Sheikh Mahmoud Amer, which is posted on the website of the Ansar al-Sunnah al-Muhamadiya, says: 

"We, in Egypt, are a people that for the most part follow the religion of Islam and anybody reading ElBaradei's statements can see that these call for civil disobedience and incite civil unrest against our Muslim ruler [President Hosni Mubarak] ... 

Regardless of the status of Egypt's ruler in the eyes of some people, he is the ruler and so should be listened to and obeyed … therefore ElBaradei and others are not entitled to make such statements [calling for civil disobedience]."

Sheikh Amer calls on ElBaradei to "declare his repentance for what he has said … otherwise the ruler is permitted to imprison or kill him in order to prevent sedition".

Several scholars at the government-controlled al-Azhar university have condemned the fatwa, as has the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, though it remains to be seen whether the authorities will take any action against Sheikh Amer.

Meanwhile, the Gamal Mubarak Support Coalition has filed more than 15 legal complaints against ElBaradei, alleging that he incited civil disobedience when calling for a boycott of next year’s presidential elections.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 22 Dec 2010.