88 unlicensed churches, service buildings granted legal status

CAIRO - 5 August 2019: Eight-eight unlicensed churches and affiliated service buildings have been granted approval to legalize their status.

The committee in charge of legalizing the status of unlicensed churches presented the reviews of the status of churches and service buildings carried out since July 1. The reviews took place upon the request of the founders, and resulted in the approval to legalize 88 churches and affiliated service buildings, so that the total number of unlicensed churches and affiliated buildings that are legalized turns 1,109.

Fifty-six of those have met the safety requirements, and the committee is still working on the rest to meet the safety terms.

The news was announced during a meeting between Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and the committee encompassing Minister of Justice Mohamed Hossam Abdel Rahim, Local Development Minister Mahmoud Shaarawy, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Assem al-Gazar, and other officials.

Unlicensed places of worship are spread across the country and the state has been making endeavors to resolve that problem. For mosques, the Ministry of Endowments has been trying to legalize such places and ensure prayers are led by licensed preachers. In 2014, the number of unlicensed mosques was estimated at 30,000.