Egypt acts to limit Ramadan sermons

CAIRO - Egypt will restrict sermons during the holy month of Ramadan to topics of faith and morality, the state's top official in charge of religious affairs said Sunday, in the latest measure by the government to control mosques and limit access of opponents to them.

The announcement is yet another move by authorities to crack down on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, and limiting in the process free speech in the deeply polarized country.

Mohammed Mokhtar Gomaa said the decision should ensure that sermons during Islam's holy month of fasting "unite people, not divide them." He said the religious speech had been "hijacked" for political purposes, in reference to the previous government, led by Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

"The religious speech was politically driven, which affected the moral side," he said at a news conference on the first day of the observance. "Now we're in a race against time trying to restore morals."

Morsi was ousted last year following mass protests against him. The military removed Morsi, and its chief, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, was elected president earlier this month.

In his campaign, Sissi stressed that religious discourse needs to be restructured, saying a free-for-all interpretation of religion has helped spread extremism. Islamist groups rely on mosques to recruit new members and also rally for political positions ahead of votes.

Since Morsi's ouster, religious authorities moved to purge mosques from preachers deemed supportive of Islamists and have set guidelines for Friday sermons.

Gomaa said new regulations will also specify what the sermons will address in Ramadan, when more worshipers than usual spend time in mosques, praying and listening to religious lessons. Ramadan is the time Muslims believe God started to reveal the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad, and for believers, it is a time of reflection and worship, remembering the hardships of others and being charitable.