Cairo: A recent decision by Egyptian religious authorities to unify mosque sermons has triggered an uproar, being seen as an attempt by the government to tighten its grip on mosques in the mostly Muslim country.
Authorities have brought thousands of mosques across Egypt under their control since the army’s 2013 overthrow of president Mohammad Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood following massive protests against his one-year rule.
The inexorable campaign has aimed at denying the now-banned Brotherhood and allied ultra-conservative Salafists a major forum to influence Muslims.
However, some clerics are displeased with the decision by Minister of Waqf (religious affairs), Mohammad Jumaa, a vociferous critic of the Brotherhood, requiring mosque preachers to deliver sermons tackling the same subject at the weekly congregational Friday prayers.
“These sermons harm the credibility of preachers” said Esmail Madkur, a preacher at a mosque in the eastern Cairo district of Hadayek Al Quba.
“Does it make sense that preachers in thousands of mosques around the country talk about the same subject on the same day? This deprives us of respect of people, who see us as preachers of the government,” he told Gulf News. “After the sermon, some people sometimes come to me and ask: ‘Was this sermon sent to you by the government?’”.
Minister Jumaa has defended synchronising sermons. “This decision has considerably regulated the religious discourse,” he said in recent media remarks. “I personally supervise the themes of the sermons in cooperation with the religious department at the ministry,” he added.
According to him, the sermons mostly tackle combat of radicalism, moderate Islam and young people’s role in society.
President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi has repeatedly called for religious reforms to help eliminate violent militancy that has hit Egypt in recent years.
Another cleric, who gave his name only as Mukhtar for fear of legal trouble, said: “How will people see us when we tell them in one unified sermon that protests against the government are haram [impermissible in Islam] while we turn a blind eye to demonstrations supporting the government? These dictated sermons just make the opposite result. They prompt people to go and attend sermons given by the Salafists, who talk about issues and problems closely linked to people’s life.”
Mukhtar said he often ignores the ministry-drafted sermons and addresses worshippers “according to what my conscience dictates.”
Many preachers at state-controlled mosques have reportedly complained to the Ministry of Waqf about the “futility” of unifying sermons. Their grousing has gone unheeded, they said.
“The idea of unifying sermons is a big failure,” said Adel Badawi, who heads the Preachers’ Association in the Delta province of Gharbiya.
“It alienates people from preachers,” he told private newspaper Al Masry Al Youm. Badawi disclosed attempts by preachers to circumvent the ministerial curbs on sermons. “When they notice there are inspectors from the ministry among the worshippers, they generally speak about the theme of the sermon designated by the ministry, but without sticking to its text. We promote the cause of God, not that of the minister.”
Young Egyptians are disenchanted with the government due to economic woes and the jailing of dozens for holding unauthorised protests.
“The key objective of unifying mosque sermons,” said the minister “is to promote the common good of the nation.”