Rift among scholars over nudity among married couples

Cairo: An Egyptian cleric's controversial fatwa claiming that nudity during sexual intercourse invalidates a marriage has uncovered a rift among Islamic scholars.

According to the religious edict issued by Rashad Hassan Khalil, a former dean of Al-Azhar University's faculty of Sharia, "being completely naked during the act of coitus annuls the marriage".

The religious decree sparked a hot debate on the private satellite network Dream's popular religious talk show and on the front page of yesterday's Al-Masri Al-Yom, Egypt's leading independent daily newspaper.

Suad Saleh, who heads the women's department of Al-Azhar's Islamic studies faculty, pleaded for "anything that can bring spouses closer to each other" and rejected the claim that nudity during intercourse could invalidate a union.

Al-Azhar's fatwa committee chairman Abdullah Megawar argued that married couples could see each other naked but should not look at each other's genitalia and suggested they cover up with a blanket during sex.

Tehran puts two foreigners on trial

Tehran: Iran has put a German and a Frenchman on trial after their boat strayed into the country's territorial waters while on a sailing vacation in November, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday.

"Their court had a session on Thursday. It will decide the verdict," Hamid Reza Asefi said. He said the two were healthy and had been visited by consular officials from their embassies.