Dr. Sabry Abdul Raouf

Early on Monday, Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation issued a decision banning religious preacher Dr. Sabri Abdel Raouf from making TV appearances, Al Arabiya reported

This comes after Abdel Raouf reportedly issued a controversial "fatwa (religious edict) granting husbands the right to have intercourse with their dead wives." 

The latest decision bans Sheikh Sabri from appearing on private or public television channels. 

He has also been banned from going on radio programs. 

In his statement on the matter, Makram Mohammed Ahmed, chairman of Egypt's media regulation body said the decision to ban the cleric was made because his edict "disregards Muslims’ ethics and morals and disrespects the sanctity of the dead." 

Ahmed stressed that the council "will not allow TV programs to discuss such issues, and will appeal to Al-Azhar - the leading authority on Sunni Islam - to investigate the controversial remarks."

On Sunday, Dr. Ahmed Hosni, Vice President of Al-Azhar University, said the university will investigate Abdel Raouf over the matter.  

Abdul Raouf issued an apology

Over the weekend and right before the ban came out, Abdul Raouf went on Dream TV's "Ten PM," and apologized for "offending people." 

He also explained that his words were misconstrued and stressed that he was simply "responding to a question about a fatwa issued by an Arab cleric allowing intercourse with a dead wife." 

The cleric said he was then surprised that people were attributing the fatwa to him on social media. 

In the video that saw the cleric drop the statement, he didn't condone the act, and even called it "unnatural" and "unusual." 

However, he also explained that it would not be considered 'haram' (unacceptable), stressing that it's not a punishable act in Islam. 

"It's an unusual, unnatural act, but it's not unacceptable in our religion"

The fatwa has sparked online controversy

"No human being can accept such an act, so how could he even think that it's accepted by religion? These people are defaming our religion in the worst of ways." 

Many thought an investigation into the matter isn't enough

"Why investigate him? Send him to jail. People everywhere are advancing and we've still got people like him trying to pass such ignorance in the name of Islam."  

A few still tried to defend the cleric

"At the beginning of his fatwa, the cleric said this is an unnatural act. He was just answering a question on whether it is considered 'haram' or not. Watch the full video of his statement before you attack him." 

Others weren't having it though

"I am an imam of a mosque, not even a cleric or sheikh and I still don't accept to answer any question except if it benefits people. Given that he's a prominent Azhari scholar, I don't even know how he agreed to answer such a question, he shouldn't have."