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Egypt's religious institutions to offer couples premarital sex ed

To curb divorce rates, Egypt's Dar al-Ifta is offering a marriage preparation program for would-be couples, including sex education.
CAIRO, EGYPT - DECEMBER 10: A newlywed couple pose for wedding photos on a wall in a park overlooking Cairo on December 10, 2016 in Cairo, Egypt. Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Egyptians have been facing a crisis, the uprising brought numerous political changes, but also economic turmoil, increased terror attacks and the unravelling of the once strong tourism sector. In recent weeks Egypt has again been hit by multiple bomb blasts, the most recent killed 26 Christians inside the St Peter and St Paul Church dur
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CAIRO — Egypt's Dar al-Ifta announced Feb. 12 its new marriage preparation program for would-be couples and single people. The program, from the government institution in charge of issuing fatwas and offering courses on social issues, aims to familiarize Egyptians with marriage-related Sharia provisions on choosing a husband or wife, and also to educate couples about the engagement period, reproductive health and conjugal behavior, which includes sex education. The program will further prepare couples to deal with potential life problems and pressure.

Following Dar al-Ifta’s announcement, the Ministry of Religious Endowments announced Feb. 22 a new training program for imams that would teach them how to counsel couples through religious lessons and sermons. The program is part of efforts to counter Egypt's rising divorce rates.

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