CAIRO: Egypt's Minister of Religious Endowments, Mahmoud Hamdy Zaqzouq, said in statements during a meeting with the Grand Mufti of Mount Lebanon, Sheikh Mohamed Ali Jouzo, that Egypt has “no mosques belonging to any religious or sectarian schools.” He added that there are no Shia Mosques in Egypt. The minister stressed that all mosques and religious institutions that number some 104,000 are subject to full supervision of the Ministry of Religious Endowments. Zaqzouq pointed out to his Lebanese counterpart that the Egypt is the most Islamic people who love “al-Beit,” referring to the family of the Prophet Mohammed, which was not well received by the Lebanese leader, who argued that the Egyptian minister was “condescending” toward religion elsewhere in the region. However, the minister attempted to argue that this does not mean that there are not mosques “for Shiites in Egypt,” but that does not mean “the existence of a ‘specific' mosque” in Egypt for the religious minority. He continued, noting that undermining the Egyptian role towards the Palestinian cause is a historical “fallacy, as the Egyptian role in the Palestinian issue is ‘undeniable.” Zaqzouq said that Egypt is keen in searching and helping to achieve the unity of the Arab and Islamic world and the reconciliation between different sects and political currents. He said that nations can only be biased based on those issues that directly affect the nation. Despite the appearance of attacks, the Mufti of Mount Lebanon praised Egypt's efforts in the service of Islam and Muslims as well as its prominent role in addressing the problems of the nation, further exalting Egypt's continuous role in Lebanon. **reporting by Mohamed Abdel Salam BM
