Egyptian government orders Muslim preachers to give identical, pre-written weekly sermons

In Islam, attending Friday sermons is mandatory and is the most important prayer of the week.

For observant Muslims in Egypt, the sermons delivered by clerics in their respective neighborhoods offer a time to connect spiritually and, for many, remain their main source of religious teaching.

For imams, it’s a chance to focus their sermons on issues affecting their particular community, sometimes mixed with political messages.