Egypt
To break Ramadan fast, many Muslims turn to apricot drink with ‘lunar’ name
By Joseph Hammond — May 4, 2021
(RNS) — In the Arab world, an apricot juice drink known as Qamar al-Din, or ‘moon of the religion,’ satisfies the requirements for breaking the daily fast.
Cairo’s historic Ramadan cannon fires again
By Joseph Hammond — April 23, 2021
(RNS) — Now a familiar way to announce the end of the fast in the Arab world, the tradition is thought to have originated in the 15th century.
California date farmers lean into Ramadan season’s spike in sales
By Joseph Hammond — April 20, 2021
(RNS) — With the number of Muslims growing in the United States, dates sold at Ramadan have become a major focus of date growers' business.
Muslims try to keep Ramadan spirit amid virus restrictions
By Samy Magdy and Lee Keath — April 21, 2020
BAHTIM, Egypt (AP) — As Ramadan begins later this week, Muslims around the world are trying to maintain the cherished rituals of Islam's holiest month without further spreading the outbreak.
Egypt arrests Coptic community rights activist amid heightened surveillance measures
By Roxanne Stone — December 5, 2019
CAIRO (RNS) — Early on Nov. 23, plainclothes police arrived at the home of Ramy Kamel, a tailor and advocate for the Coptic community. Human rights groups have expressed alarm over Kamel's arrest and a renewed crackdown on activists and journalists in Egypt.
How Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s Gulenists fell from power to persecution
By Ahmet T. Kuru — August 20, 2019
(The Conversation) — In both countries, homegrown Islamic movements have struggled to survive in authoritarian regimes that exert strong control over religious practice.
Egypt TV says ousted president Morsi dies in court
By Samy Magdy — June 17, 2019
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's former president, Mohammed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who rose to office in the country's first free elections in 2012 and was ousted a year later by the military, collapsed in court during a trial and died Monday.
American University Cairo religion professor loses post in academic freedom fight
By Mina Nader — May 14, 2019
(RNS) CAIRO — The university's president withdrew the title awarded in a professor's contract after the professor refused a donor's demand that he advocate for Islam over other religions in his teaching and scholarship.
Egyptian seminary renews its claim as arbiter of Islam’s true meaning
By Jacob Wirtschafter, J Wirtschafter, and Amr El Tohamy — March 28, 2019
CAIRO (RNS) — With Islam under global scrutiny and ISIS projecting power over the internet, Al-Azhar University's observatory has set out to counter terrorist messaging.
Threatened with an end to Shariah divorce, Egypt’s imams work to save marriages
By Jacob Wirtschafter, J Wirtschafter, and Amr El Tohamy — January 23, 2019
CAIRO (RNS) — Egypt’s skyrocketing divorce rate has spurred a debate between religious leaders and government officials about how best to keep families together.
Egypt’s Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas, ponder changing date
By Mina Nader — December 26, 2018
EL KOSHEH, Egypt (RNS) — Some argue this ancient community should move its Christmas celebration from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25 as a sign of global Christian unity.
Anger erupts in Egypt after massacre of Christian pilgrims
By Mina Nader — November 5, 2018
MINYA, Egypt (RNS) — An assault that killed seven Coptic Christians on Friday (Nov. 2) follows a May 2017 ambush at the same location, also by the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State. Now, Copts say they have had enough of platitudes.
Many Egyptian Christians feel left out of World Cup
By Hamza Hendawi — June 24, 2018
No Christian has been on the national soccer squad for more than a decade, and just one played for any of the 18 top-flight clubs last season.
Egyptian coaches and officials dismiss any suggestion of discrimination, but Christians disagree.
Egypt fights Islamic extremism by allowing women leaders at mosques
By Amr El Tohamy — June 20, 2018
CAIRO (RNS) — The move to introduce women preachers – wa’ezzat in Arabic – marks the first time females have formally addressed worshippers in these spaces as officially sanctioned clergy.
Fearing extremist violence, Egypt silences 20,000 storefront mosques
By Amr El Tohamy — May 25, 2018
CAIRO (RNS) — The Egyptian government has banned preaching at 20,000 mosques as a precautionary measure to prevent extremist violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
