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Egypt’s Awqaf Ministry: Opening of Mosques Depends on People Wearing Masks

The Egyptian cabinet meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. (Facebook)
The Egyptian cabinet meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. (Facebook)
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Egypt’s Awqaf Ministry: Opening of Mosques Depends on People Wearing Masks

The Egyptian cabinet meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. (Facebook)
The Egyptian cabinet meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. (Facebook)

Egypt’s Ministry of Awqaf has linked the continued opening of mosques with people’s abidance by the health measures amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

Awqaf Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa said the country’s supreme committee tasked with managing the pandemic decides the opening or closure of institutions during the health crisis, including places of worship.

He affirmed that his ministry is committed to the decisions issued by the committee in this regard.

All mosques are regularly being disinfected, Gomaa stressed, noting that the toilets in mosques will not be opened and only people wearing masks will be allowed to enter.

The Minister explained that if people do not abide by the simplest health measure, which is wearing masks, the mosques will not be opened.

Meanwhile, the government stressed Tuesday the importance of the implementation of necessary preventive measures to fight the pandemic, the most important of which is wearing masks.

During a weekly cabinet session, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered relevant authorities to fine violators of the health protocols.

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that university hospitals have been providing their services to patients, adding that the availability of necessary medications and medical supplies is monitored on a daily basis in accordance with the announced protocols.

In the same context, the Health Ministry underscored the hospitals’ readiness to confront the second wave of the coronavirus by developing the infrastructure of 44 hospitals and gas networks, providing 100 oxygen tanks, increasing the capacity by 7,500 beds, 1,500 intensive care beds and 325 ventilators, as well as adding 17 computed tomography (CT) machines.

According to a recent statement by the Health Ministry, 202 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals after receiving the necessary medical care.

The ministry said 415 new cases were recorded as well as 19 deaths, raising the infection tally to 118,847, including 103,703 recoveries and 6,790 fatalities.

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After Debate, Iraqi Armed Factions Refuse to Disband

Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)
Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)
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After Debate, Iraqi Armed Factions Refuse to Disband

Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)
Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)

Undersecretary of the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hisham al-Alawi stressed on Sunday that the dismantling and disarmament of armed factions was an internal Iraqi affair.

He added: “Iraq is interested in amicably resolving problems with regional countries. Regional stability is necessary for development.”

On the factions, he said it was necessary to make a distinction between the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other factions that are not aligned to it.

The PMF, he explained, is an integral part of Iraq’s security and military institutions.

“Neutralizing the factions that operate outside the state is an Iraqi affair. Iraq is concerned with neutralizing them when it comes to their external actions,” he remarked.

He made his remarks days after Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Asharq Al-Awsat that the possession of weapons outside the control of the state was “unacceptable”.

He said the government was “trying to convince the armed factions” to lay down their arms. This has cast doubt in the country over its actual ability to handle the issue given the persistent internal disputes, especially between Shiite forces.

Meanwhile, the Al-Nujaba and Saraya Awliya al-Dam factions announced that they were suspending their operations against Israel as the ceasefire in Gaza took effect.

However, al-Nujaba politburo head Ali al-Assadi said the “weapons of the resistance were legitimate” and that his movement has not been asked to lay down its arms.

This marks the first statement in over two months over the possession of weapons by a faction of the “Resistance Axis” that is allied with Iran.

Al-Assadi said on Saturday that the “Iraqi resistance is ready to support the military operations should Israel resume its attacks on Gaza.”

This means that all the statements and debates about the weapons have been effectively dismissed by the factions.

The government has not called on the al-Nujaba to lay down its weapons or to disband, al-Assadi continued.

“The foreign minister’s comments about the issue are unrealistic and all politicians know that were it not for the resistance, they wouldn’t be in their positions,” he stressed.

On Higher Shiite Authority Ali al-Sistani's statements two months ago on the need to limit the possession of arms to the state, al-Assadi said: “He was not referring to the resistance factions.”

He added, however, that the factions “are ready to lay down their arms if Sistani directly and openly says so.”