CAIRO — Amr Hamroush, a member of the Egyptian parliament's Religious Committee, has been calling for action to prevent non-Azharites from wearing the distinctive dress of Al-Azhar, a restriction already observed for military and police uniforms. In press statements Dec. 2, several parliament members announced that Hamroush has prepared a bill that is under discussion within the Religious Committee.
The committee's deliberations may lead to the amendment of Law No. 51 of 2014, more strictly enforcing this law as it stands or passing the new law proposed by Hamroush. Possible amendments may include clearly defining the characteristics of Al-Azhar dress, widening the scope of the law to include the dress of Christian religious authorities and increasing the penalties for violations.