[THIS IS WHAT THE US AND THE EU SHOULD DO]
Waleed Abdul Rahman, Asharq Al-Awsat Saturday, 4 Jan, 2014
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – As the Egyptian government continues to crack down
on the ousted Muslim Brotherhood, the Ministry of Awqaf (religious
endowments) took control of several mosques controlled by the Islamist group
on Friday.
The takeover comes three days after the government ordered the seizure of
the assets of hundreds of Brotherhood members on suspicion of “funding
terrorism.”
In place of Brotherhood preachers, Al-Azhar clerics delivered sermons at
mosques across Egypt, including Al-Jala, and Al-Tawheed in Cairo and Dawah
Al-Haq in Giza.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a Ministry of
Awqaf source said that Awqaf Minister Dr Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa has assigned
imams licensed by the ministry to the mosques that used to belong to the
Brotherhood’s charitable and social organizations.
In a statement released on Friday, the minister said: “Al-Azhar and the
Awqaf ministry are ready to respond to any lack of preachers and to deliver
Islam’s message of leniency and openness.”
Gomaa’s statement also addressed the recent cabinet decision to freeze the
assets of over 1,000 NGOs accused of having links to the Brotherhood. Many
in Egypt have expressed concerns freezing the charities’ funds would have an
undue effect on the poor, who rely on those groups to provide basic
services, particularly health care.
“The role of charities and social organizations in easing burdens off the
poor is very significant,” he said.
Gomaa called for close monitoring of the financial transactions of
charities, as well as a ban on any party from raising money without a permit
from the government.
In a new sign of the growing rift between Islamists in Egypt, the Al-Dawa
Al-Salafiya (Salafist Call) Organization cancelled a seminar by top Egyptian
preacher Yasser Borhami, founder and spiritual head of the Nour Party, over
threats from the Brotherhood supporters, a leading Salafist figure told
Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity.
Borhami’s seminar was to be part of the Nour Party’s campaign to mobilize
support for the 2013 draft constitution that will be submitted to a
referendum on January 14–15.
“The seminar was cancelled [out of concern] for citizens’ safety and out
fear of new bloodshed,” the source said.
Calls to attack Borhami had been circulated by several pro-Brotherhood
activists on Facebook in the days before the seminar was cancelled.
islam lenient and open? LOL
Of course, but that will never happen under any circumstances. The west would obviously rather be destroyed than be “islamophobic”.