CAIRO - Egypt's prestigious seat of Sunnilearning, al-Azhar, said on Tuesday the dead should be respectedand buried, a clear criticism of how ousted Libyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi's body was put on show and left to rot for daysafter his killing.
The statement by al-Azhar, published by Egypt's officialnews agency, did not mention Gaddafi. But it clearly referred tohim by saying it was responding to "the many questions" relatedto the mistreatment of the dead and other violent actions,including acts by "tyrannical regimes," during Arab uprisings.
"We demand that all sides abide by the Islamic position thatforbids using violence against peaceful protests but alsoforbids inhumane treatment of the injured and desecration of dead bodies or keeping them without burial," said The Grand Imamof al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayyeb.