Egypt’s Sisi orders to develop integrated plan to build mosques nationwide

CAIRO – 21 January 2023: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi gave directives to develop an integrated plan to build mosques affiliated with the Ministry of Endowments nationwide, said Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady in a statement.

The President’s directions were given during a meeting with Prime Minister Dr.Moustafa Madbouly, Minister of Religious Endowments Dr. Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa and Minister of Social Solidarity Nevin El Kabbaj.

The Spokesman for the Presidency said the meeting followed up on activities of the Ministry of Religious Endowments.

The directives include activities related to daawa and Quran recital, acting as a beacon for spreading true religion throughout the country. This is while taking into account the proper selection of their locations and the allocation of a suitable space for them, in addition to raising the efficiency of the main mosques in each governorate.

In continuation of the state's efforts to disseminate the modern discourse of Islam and to consolidate its sound foundations, which expanded beyond Egypt's local scope, the Minister of Endowments presented the ministry's efforts to train a number of imams, preachers and religious leaders in Africa, with the aim of enhancing the importance of dialogue, diversity and acceptance of the other.

He also presented developments pertinent to a program developed for training new imams and the results of a competition for their appointment.The President gave directives to enhance imams training programs to refine their personality and way of thinking in a modern way that helps them form a realistic vision within the framework of enlightened thinking.

The President also gave directives to increase the rewards of the International Holy Quran Competition to reach about 2 million pounds, which will be organized by the Ministry of Endowments next month with wide participation from various countries.

The meeting also touched on the Ministry of Endowments' preparations for the holy month of Ramadan by intensifying activities related to daawa and Quran recital, in addition to the ministry’s contribution to community service through a number of projects in coordination with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Ministry of Supply and local authorities across the country.

Dr. Gomaa also presented the ministry's  translation and publishing efforts, especially the latest translation of the meanings of the Holy Quran into a new number of languages, which will be presented at the upcoming edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, with the aim of spreading the true meanings of Islam in relation to the interpretation of the meanings of the Holy Quran without distortion or exaggeration, in light of the state's strategy to spread the enlightened moderate thinking.

The President also followed up on the activities of the Awqaf Authority and efforts to develop it, which resulted in the continuous increase in its revenues that grew in 2022 to about 2 billion Egyptian pounds, compared to approximately 600 million Egyptian pounds in 2014.