An Egyptian Archimedes, The Mufti and Adultery

Aljazeera TV quotes a leading official of Egypt's ruling party hinting that President Mubarak's son can replace him through retirement. The official asserted triumphantly "This would not be an inherited presidency in this case"- presumably because there is no death involved. I can imagine the eager party functionary who first hit upon this great idea- how he ran out of the bath as naked as an Egyptian Archimedes, screaming joyously "Eureka, Eureka!"
Interesting way to show respect for the people and their intelligence in the New Middle East, or is it the New Old Middle East?

Alwatan newspaper of Kuwait quotes (9/19) an interview in the Egyptian weekly Rose Al-Yousef with the Mufti of Egypt, the head Islamic honcho in the country. Apparently he has claimed that a woman who bore a child exactly four years (1460 days) after her husband's death could not be considered a zaniya, a loose woman or an adulteress. So far so good, there are others who would agree with that. But then he ruined the whole effect by stating that if she bore a child 4 years+1 day after her husband's death, that is 1461 days, then she would be a loose zaniya- very loose indeed. Apparently he, the Mufti, used the precedence of some revered person who was born quite properly and normally almost four years after his father's death. Revered or not, his mother must have been a very convincing talker, among other things. (Note: some irreverent person might remark that this comes dangerously close to immaculate conception).

Riots continue against the Pope's speech in Germany (the speech was in Germany, not the riots). Some of the protesters have become wise to the fact that the Pope is not American, which must be a disappointing fact: it looked like they were burning the German flag for the TV cameras somewhere in Pakistan yesterday. This is quite a switch- usually there are lots of U.S flags in reserve somewhere in some protesters' cellars, especially in friendly allied countries like Pakistan, ready to be whipped out and burned at the slightest provocation. They must have run out of American flags, what with all the riots over the past few years, and scrambled to find a German flag, not an easy thing to find in Pakistan, or anywhere south of Bavaria.
Qadhafi's son has suggested the Pope study Islam carefully, as a prelude to conversion. I think he is these days.
Cheers?
Mohammed