(Al Arabiya) — A prominent Egyptian Islamic scholar spoke out against a fatwa issued by a Salafist cleric that bans voting for non-Islamists in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

A former deputy of al-Azhar, the world’s leading institution of Sunni Islam and member of the Islamic Research Center, Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour lashed out at Sheikh Mahmoud Amer, a Salafist cleric and head of the Giza Governorate branch of al-Sunna al-Mohamadeya for issuing a fatwa that renders voting for certain Egyptian groups against Islam.

Amer had said that Muslims were prohibited from voting for Copts, secularists, and liberals as well as Muslim candidates who do not pray and who do not call for the implementation of sharia (Islamic law) in their programs.

He also included members of the formerly ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) on the black list, yet excluded what he called the “honorable” among them.

“Anyone who votes for one of those will be committing a grave sin,” the Egyptian daily independent al-Masry al-Youm quoted Amer as saying.