Egyptian Religious Official Dismissed Over Controversial Statements

Egyptian Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa dismissed Sheikh Ahmed al-Qadi, the ministry's official spokesman, after he had made controversial statements the day before yesterday on the status of mosques during the holy month of Ramadan.

The minister decided to dismiss al-Qadi from his post after his statement in which he said that the ministry is considering opening mosques to perform Tarawih prayers in the month of Ramadan without presence of worshipers.

On its part, the ministry denied in full and detail al-Qadi’s statements, noting that these statements do not represent the ministry.

In phone statements on “Ala Mas’ouliti programme’ broadcast on Sada al-Balad channel, the ministry spokesman confirmed that the Ministry of Religious Endowments was considering opening mosques for imams to perform Tarawih prayers.

Hence, Minister Gomaa said that there is no room for lifting the suspension of Friday prayers, including Tarawih prayers during the month of Ramadan, adding that there is no room for opening mosques during the holy month, taking into account the legitimate legal interest that makes the preservation of the human psyche an original basis for all decisions taken by the Ministry.

The minister said in a statement on Sunday evening, that the idea of ​​setting up Tarawih in mosques this year is not standing, not by worshipers or without worshipers.

The Egyptian minister of Endowments had decided a few days ago to extend the closure of mosques completely until the reason of closure disappears, which is the epidemic of the novel coronavirus through coordination with the Ministry of Health.

The minister said that the decision is based on suspending the establishment of gatherings and groups and the closure of all mosques completely temporarily, within the framework of achieving the legitimate intentions in preserving the soul that Islam surrounded by many fences of preservation and protection.

Gomaa stressed that violating the work by suspending the gathering and group praying in the current circumstance is a sin, and a violation that requires accountability.