Egypt clamps down on religious ritual
The Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf has imposed a series of strict conditions on religious retreats held in mosques during Ramadan.
CAIRO — A popular religious ritual is receiving extra scrutiny from officials in Egypt this Ramadan.
The practice of itikaf, a period of retreat in a mosque where Muslims can distance themselves from worldly affairs and concentrate on religious activities, is most commonly observed during the last 10 days of Ramadan, in keeping with the example set by the Prophet Muhammad.
While many Muslims have come to anticipate the holy month as an opportunity to perform this duty, this year, some of those desiring to participate in these retreats might not get their wish. For the first time ever in Egypt, many new conditions on such activities have been imposed by the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf in response to the current security and political situation in the country.
On May 29, the Ministry of Awqaf issued a statement on its official website warning that not following these conditions would render a itikaf assembly an illegal meeting, and subject to legal action:
