Asyut governorate closes eight MB charity organizations

CAIRO – 26 November 2017: An Asyut Directorate has recently closed eight charity organizations because of their affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood group, Fatima al-Khayat, deputy of the Ministry of Social Solidarity in Asyut stated on Sunday.

Egypt is still trying to recuperate from the impacts of the Muslim Brotherhood’s one-year in power. The brotherhood began as a charity group, before moving into political work.

Most of the group’s violent affiliates were recruited and trained as militias through the so-called charity organizations, owned and operated by the brotherhood since the early 2000s.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi approved a new NGO law on May 31, after it was ratified by the House of Representatives in November 2016, following several months of discussions and study.

Egypt’s new NGO law gives those charity organizations one year to comply with the new terms or suspend their activities and shut down.

The old NGO law had a multitude of loopholes that allowed illegal activities to take place, which include seeking funds with the intent of executing destruction and disorder.