Dar al-Ifta joins in Egypt-Turkey culture war
Amid heightened tensions between Cairo and Ankara, culture is emerging as the new battlefront as each party offers its own version of the Ottoman era.
Dar al-Ifta, the Egyptian authority responsible for issuing religious edicts, is warning Egyptians against watching Turkish TV drama series, which have been banned from Egypt's pro-government television channels since 2013. The warning, which comes at a time of strained relations between Egypt and Turkey, has raised eyebrows on social media; activists are baffled as to why the cautionary advice had come from a religious rather than a political institution.
"Dar al-Ifta is a state institution and protection of national security is one of its primary tasks,” Kamal Amer, head of parliament's Security Committee, told Al-Monitor.
