#friday prayers
Al-Azhar, the top Sunni Islamic authority, rejected on Tuesday an Egyptian government order that all Muslim clerics deliver identical and pre-written Friday sermons. Citing "damage to religious discourse," Al-Azhar's Council of Senior Scholars, which is headed by Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, rejected the policy which was implemented by Egypt's Ministry of Religious Endowments. The Council said that relying on pre-written sermons makes imams less capable at their jobs and hinders their ability to counter extremism. Instead, the Council recommended that…
