CAIRO — Citing the case of a poor woman who offered her son as collateral for a refrigerator, an Egyptian police captain has called for his fellow officers to help pay off the debts of impoverished people who have defaulted on loans. The Interior Ministry, which expressed support for the initiative and urged cooperation with police, released 41 defaulters from prison July 15.

The two groups say they are cooperating solely to bring relief to the nation's poor, though some doubters suspect political motives. 

Police Capt. Mohammed Jamal delivered his request May 7 via Facebook, noting that a major tenet of Islam, Zakat, calls for monetary contributions to charity.

“Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. … Help me spread this [campaign] to do more good. I call on interior security officers who serve the country. I call on every noble and kindhearted police officer to, instead of imprisoning people, let us this time release prisoners. It is really sad to have a police report on a woman who offered her son as a guarantee in exchange for a refrigerator. This is frustrating. People have no compassion or tolerance for the poor who lost their source of livelihood and are unable to secure even the simple necessities."