[AlAhram] Egypt’s religious authorities have issued a decision banning direct donations in mosques nationwide, ending the long-time practice of putting charity in "donation boxes" at the worship houses.
| Egypt has been fighting radical Islamist groups that have for decades used donation boxes in some mosques as a source of finance as there was no control or supervision on how those donations were used. |
Citizens can now donate directly to two-official accounts at the Central Bank of Egypt opened by the Religious Endowment Ministry. One of the accounts is dedicated to mosque maintenance while the other is for social charity.
Many Moslem worshipers like to donate cash at mosques, as a good deed, for the repairing of mosques or social services, including holding Koran recitation lessons or providing charity services for the surrounding community. |