RNA – The Egyptian Ministry of Endowments has requested all mosque authorities to examine and conduct an inventory of all books in their possession which are considered to so-called contradict the tolerant nature of Islam.
Following the presentation of reports by security services in regard to the propagation of books authored by some leaders of the Muslim Brotherhooad, such as as Hasan al-Banna, Sayyid Qutb and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, as well as other Islamist leaders, the head the Ministry of Endowments, Muhammad Mukhtar Jumu’ah, announced that he has ordered libraries and mosques to burn all books which are “poisonous” and "encourage violence."
Some of the listed authors including Sayyid Qutb are considered ideological founders of the Muslim Brotherhood and had a close ideological relations with the founder of Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini. Sayyid Qutb himself was one of the key supporters of Islamic Unity doctrine.
According to Rasa News correspondant, the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments oversees two types of mosques, the mosques that do not have libraries or have small libraries containing 30 to 40 copies or less of the Quran and large mosques which have large libraries.
In addition to books, the Ministry of Endowments included audio and video media in their crackdown on the propagation of extremism.
The Ministry of Endowments has stated that the purpose of their actions to cleanse religious content of extremist ideas in order to combat what they call religious extremism which invites society toward violence and considering others as infidels (takfir).
The Ministry has stated that the problem of small libraries is that citizens donate their books which contain the controversial writings of Sayyid Qutb, Hassan al-Banna and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, as well as books on various topics which the ministry considers controversial – such as the issue of jizyah and jihad.
Sources from the Ministry of Endowments have stated that Egypt will only retain the books in mosques which the Ministry of Endowments and al-Azhar University have given their stamp of approval to.
They have threatened those who disobey this command with punishment.
The Ministry has also formed committees to monitor and track the activities of all mosques, saying they have the responsibility to implement the decision and examine all material entering their premises.
Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has said that these books have a negative impact on young people and brainwash them so that they accept the extremist thoughts of terrorist groups.
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