88000 Masajid, One Khutbah

[Ali]

88,000 Mosques, One Sermon

The same official sermon will be delivered in 88,000 mosques across Egypt from this week. The government move is a part of extensive new censorship, and penalization for mosques and preachers that do not toe the official line.

CAIRO, Jul 24 (IPS) - The same official sermon will be delivered in 88,000 mosques across Egypt from this week. The government move is a part of extensive new censorship, and penalization for mosques and preachers that do not toe the official line.

As of Friday this week, no preacher will be free to deliver his own sermon, according to a statement from the Awaqaf (religious endowments) ministry. Friday is the holy congregation day at mosques when preachers give their views on religious and political issues.

The sermon will now be written and distributed by officials from the regime of President Hosni Mubarak. The regime has been fighting Islamic groups trying to topple his secular pro-Western rule for the past 15 years.

"Preachers who do not stick to the text (provided every Friday) would be deprived of bonuses and will be subject to an investigation by the legal affairs department at the ministry," according to the statement from the Awaqaf ministry.

The plan also provides for removing independent preachers and replacing them with imams paid for and appointed by the regime.

[Muslimah]

As Salam Alykom Ali

I will verify this info, because I didn't here anything like it.

Insh a Allah will let u know

[SisterJennifer]

Salaam sister,

You will post your findings here?

[Ali]

Assalaamoalaikum

http://www.ipsnews.net/login.asp?redir=int...sp?idnews=19387

This is the source. It is very authentic .. other than that WallahuA3lam

[Muslimah]

Insh a Allah Jennifer, see I have a cousin who delivers Friday Khutbah (surmon) I will ask him. And Ali, the link needs a user name and password

[Ali]

W'salam

Opps Anyway If it is true, It is very sad

http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=19390

-- Ali

[Muslimah]

As Salam Alykom

Jazaki Allah khairan Jennifer for being so kind and sensitive. I never side my government I know exactly which kind of shortcomings we are suffering. We do suffer some exactly as u do. However, each from a different stand. For example we may enjoy a number of advantages that u miss, such as observating Islamic occasions, Halal food, Friday prayer, a good level of conservative attitude in streets and public places, and other advantages of living in a so called Muslim country. While someone like me for example is not allowed no more as of today to wear A`abaya for work (Hijab is not prohibited though, but we wear skirt and jacket formal as u call it with head cover of course).

Now in regard to the Khutbah issue, long time ago the government tended to regulate the matter for the best of the audience. See the problem arose when Imams working in small mosques of villages and hamlets were not qualified enough to deliver a useful Khutbah. Moreover, in some cases they even due to lack of knowledge included wrong info. So the Gov. made it compulsory for an Imam to be a graduate of the Institute of Dua, obtain a license for this I think from Al Azhar. On certain occasion, the government would give directives to tackle a specific issue. While for instance during the war of Iraq they were prohibited to touch on some points such as anti America sentiments.

I still didn’t find my cousin, as soon as I find him I will confirm this peace of info. I asked someone else who did not hear of such a thing just exactly like me.

[Muslimah]

As Salam Alykom

Well I finally found my cousin, no he didn't receive any directives in this regard. They still free to prepare and deliver their own surmons. Alhamdulelah

One more point to further explain, although as I said we are not to wear A`abaya any more to work, but it is the girls fault. They became so causal about their appearance that the boss had to set such rule.

Still I am not defending the regime. Just like to clarify points.

May Allah sobhanhu wa Ta`ala allow us to improve ourselves so that He assigns rulers who have mercy on us. ameen

[Ali]

Walaikumusalam

Very true. It's actually our fault that we let our governments establish such rules. In Pakistan recently in NWFP some madrassah students threw paint over billboards which were indecent. Everyone in the government was shocked and thought that Pakistan is going into "Talibanization". Actually the people themselves do not care much. If they would, I do not think that the government can bend the will of millions of people. If people start a civil disobedience campaign in Pakistan, the government would finally have to change its rule, but alas most do not care.

Why I found this news important was that if Hosni Mubarak can do this, his lil brother Mushraff can do such too. I think why Mubarak's government wants to do such a thing is so that they can stop Ulema from talking against the regime. And I know for a fact that the awareness about Islam is growing in the Mideast (and subcontinent). People are frustrated, and are returning to masajid etc. (Putting aside the bad things)

Anyway...

-- Ali

[Muslimah]

Ali u r absolutely right, I just didn't want to go off topic in addition that I always tend not to bring bad news. U want to hear the true news, well take some Akhi. About 3 years ago a very good Da`aia emerged in the Egyptian soceity. His name is Amr Khalid. U must have heard of him. The fact that he looked like normal average Egyptian young man, talks like them, calling to Allah using Mash a Allah an innovative style bestowed to him by Allah of course. He is an accountant, he started by targetting sports club members. Here is Egypt we have a number of sports clubs where families join in membership, It serves as a good place for family outings as well. Recently some clubs started to be religion oriented. Any way, Amr Khalid started in one of those. He really Mash a Allah reached to this target group, upper class of the society. Many girls took hijab, young men followed him and mosques where he gave lessons were full.

Well don't want to prolong the post. About 6 months ago, he was physically asked to leave the country. He went to London. ART still aired his lessons, when the Egyptian gov. asked them not to specially during the war of Iraq. Mash a Allah he really fueled the youngeters. As I told u they might apply some restrictions on Khutbah topics at certain times. But unifying a khutbah did not yet occur, hope not.

Well this is a true example.

I just wanted to bring the truth.

May Allah help us all

ameen