Authorities confiscate 500 books inciting violence in Minya

CAIRO – 28 October 2017: 500 books inciting violence were confiscated from the libraries of some major mosques in Minya governorate in Upper Egypt, sheikh Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Hatab, undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf in Minya said on Saturday.

Abu Hatab assured that there are no terrorist elements in the mosques of the governorate and that all preachers have been vetted for terrorist ties.

Regarding renewing the religious discourse, Abu Hatab said the directorate of endowments should make greater efforts to demonstrate the tolerance of Islam and to respond to the claims of terrorist groups.

Al-Azhar and Dar al-Iftaa (official body authorized to issue religious edicts) launched many initiatives during the last years to fight extremist thoughts. These initiatives vary from unifying Friday sermons, launching an English magazine addressing the false image of Islam portrayed abroad and sending delegates in tours across Europe to monitor radical edicts by official observatory bodies.

They also launched many campaigns to confiscate any books inciting violence inside mosques.

Minister of Endowment, Mohamed Mokhtar Goma, had demanded in 2015 the removal of any books, cassettes or CDs that incite violence and radicalism from mosque libraries around the country.