Demolition and closure of mosques and zawiyas: places of worship in the hands of the “endowments”

Cairo | The Egyptian state imposed total control over all mosques and corners in recent weeks, taking advantage of the emerging “Corona” virus, after places of worship were closed due to that crisis for more than four months. Today, all mosques are specifically controlled to be under the control of the Ministry of Endowments, in parallel with the demolition of some of them and the reconstruction in other places, or the closure of some others claiming that they are not necessary at present . Informed sources reveal to “Al-Akhbar” about “a firm plan at present to deal with some 30 thousand angles and small mosques that were established during the last years”. The objective is to “legalize their conditions within a broader plan that includes all the mosques and angles at the level of the Republic, with the establishment of strict controls linked to the creation of new mosques in the context of a comprehensive plan linked to urban planning.

As part of this plan, the Ministry of Endowments, led by Muhammad Mukhtar Jumaa, close to the security services, suspended all permits for the establishment of zawiyas and small mosques months ago, and restricted the construction of mosques to the ministry, to the time that forced everyone who wanted to donate to build a mosque that met the conditions and models set by the “Endowments.” “In an unprecedented step, as is customary for mosques to be handed over to the ministry with any specification, even if the small mosque is in the background of a residential property, which is something that there is a current reservation on. As for the expressed reason for the last steps, it is an attempt to restrict the violations committed in the name of the reconstruction of mosques, such as illegal and indiscriminate construction, but reality confirms that there is a great plan aimed at reducing small corners and be satisfied with mosques that are built in large areas, in the direction that the state is following in all ongoing construction projects. Despite the fact that almost two months have passed since the reopening of large and medium mosques, most of the angles and small mosques are still closed by decision of the Ministry, which is working to limit them and study how to treat them in a way that does not awaken the Popular anger at the expected closure decisions of dozens of them, especially in villages.

The state took advantage of the closure by “Corona” to implement its great and sensitive project

And the “endowments”, in legally marketing their steps before the public opinion, are based on the absence of employees who have joined them since 2014 in the mosques and the corners that they intend to close, and who had previously been satisfied with the contracts with those responsible. Throughout the years of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s rule, the Ministry controlled all the mosques that were not subject to state control, and its imams who adhere to what was dictated to them were installed in them, to an extent that strengthens security control at places of worship that security sees as a threat to keep them out of control. According to sources, the Ministry has no intention of going back to work in these corners even after the end of “Corona”, since strict controls will be put in place for what survives of them until their owners make the decision to close, such as increase the cost of water and electricity or an infraction. In fact, more than one low angle on this argument was removed by official decisions, but with the blessing and support of fatwas that legitimized the demolition of raped mosques that were described as built on the negligence of the state.
In parallel, the Waqfs and its Minister defend the Sisi era in which they witnessed the construction of 1,200 mosques, including hundreds of mosques that will open during the two months: the current one and the next, regardless of the number of mosques they demolished. during the past period (on the pretext that some of them fall into what Sisi calls a sanctuary of the public thoroughfare). Note that among them there are mausoleums that date back hundreds of years, and this is precisely because of the sensitivity of the situation, they were moved after their demolition from their place to another place, as happened in Alexandria within the development project of the axis Mahmudiyah.

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