CAIRO - Located in eastern Cairo's crowded el-Abbasiya district, el-Nour Mosque is viewed as the official mosque of the Ministry of Waqfs (Religious Endowments), where official ceremonies are often held. In recent weeks, however, it has witnessed unrest and news of this unrest has swiftly reached the ears of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the State Prosecution. The land on which the mosque was built was originally given to el-Hedaya el-Islamiya (the Islamic Guidance) Society, headed by 86-year-old Sheikh Hafez Salama, a popular resistance leader and philanthropist. Prior to the last Friday's prayers, Salama's followers prevented the mosque's preacher, Sheikh Ahmed Tork, from ascending the steps of the pulpit to deliver the Friday sermon. Clashes were reported and the military intervened. It was then agreed that Sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a Muslim Brotherhood member, would deliver the Friday sermon. He took the opportunity to slam the Ministry of Wafqs. Some of Sheikh Salama's followers reportedly tried to attack Tork once the weekly prayers were over. Salama said that he had nothing against the mosque preacher, who is just an employee, but had a bone to pick with the Ministry for refusing to obey a Supreme Administrative Court ruling for el-Nour to be returned to el-Hedaya el-Islamiya. He even accused it of corruption. “As of now, no-one will stand in the pulpit, unless el-Hedaya el-Islamiya lets them,” Salama said. The following day, Minister of Waqfs Abdullah el-Husseini denounced the fact that Tork was prevented from delivering the Friday sermon, describing what happened at the mosque on Friday as ‘against morals'. El-Husseini told the official Middle East News Agency that he has filed a report to the Prosecutor General and informed the ruling Military Council about what happened. He added that he had complained to the Cabinet about a similar, previous aggression committed by the same person (Sheikh Salama) and his followers, when they prevented el-Nour preacher from giving the Friday sermon the previous week. On April 17, Tork filed a report about what had happened with the Prosecutor-General. He said that he had been attacked by Sheikh Salama and followers, claiming that some of them had knives. Earlier this week, el-Husseini stressed that his Ministry is fully responsible for el-Nour Mosque, in accordance with Law 157/1960. According to the Minister, the mosque is only suffering from an ‘administrative dispute' concerning its annexed buildings. “The Ministry is legally responsible for the mosque and the other buildings. Nobody has the right to interfere or prevent a preacher appointed by the Ministry from doing his job,” el-Husseini said. “The mosque and the annexed buildings were built on land set aside for that purpose by Cairo Governorate.” Meanwhile, Sheikh Salama told the arabic-language el-Mosawar magazine that the land on which el-Nour Mosque and the annexed buildings are built was originally given to el-Hedaya el-Islamiya, of which he is the Chairman. “The society built the mosque and other buildings that include a school, a kindergarten, a four-storey hospital, the offices used by an organisation and a hall for wedding receptions,” Salama said, adding that these provide plenty of income. “I haven't stolen this mosque, as it originally belongs to the society. In 2001, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the mosque and its attached buildings be returned to el-Hedaya el-Islamiya.” Salama added that, some weeks ago, he filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General against the Ministry of Waqfs, forcing it to enforce the 2001 ruling and investigate financial irregularities in the managing of the mosque. He denied that he, or followers, had tried to attack or kill the mosque preacher, arguing that those who spread such ‘rumours' are targeting him personally.
