Egypt's Grand Mufti: COVID-19 praises political leadership's wisdom, Egyptians' awareness

CAIRO, April 23 (MENA) - Egypt's Grand Mufti Shawqy Allam has said the coronavirus crisis has underscored the wisdom of the political leadership and the Egyptian people's awareness.

In statements to MENA on Thursday, he said the Egyptian people had managed to overcome many challenges and hardships.

The Egyptian people are well aware of the gravity of the situation and cannot be misled by rumors that are meant to destabilize the state's security.

He called on people who are not adhering to the coronvirus preventive measures to change their attitude for the crisis to end as soon as possible.

He said the state spared no effort to take all needed medical preventive measures at the expense of the Egyptian economy so that all Egyptians should abide by the safety measures declared by the Health Ministry and the the bodies concerned.

Allam hailed the state initiative to support irregular workers through offering them monthly benefits to be able to face the impact of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, he noted that Dar Al Iftaa issued several fatwas (religious edicts) on means of dealing with the crisis, especially supporting the poor over the economic impact of the coronavirus lockdown.

He noted that there are accredited associations with a database of poor people, including Misr el Kheir, Tahya Misr Fund, the Egyptian Zakat and Charity House and Orman Charity Association.

Allam added that the moderate religious institutions act bulwark in the face of terrorism and extremism, noting that the army and police forces cannot confront terrorists alone.

There should be solidarity with them through rectifying erroneous religious ideas, he said, noting that this was the reason behind the establishment of the Observatory for Anomalous and Takfiri Fatwas of Dar Al Iftaa.

He cautioned that purporting rumors and fake news is prohibited under religion, noting that social media is a double-edged weapon.

He added that terrorist organizations have manipulated social media to spread rumors and destabilize conditions.

He noted that Islam underlined the importance of protecting ourselves. Therefore, the pandemic has prompted the state to downsize the number of employees at governmental institutions and close mosques for the same reason.