Egypt to remove Brotherhood books from mosque libraries

CAIRO

Egyptian authorities have said they were planning to remove books that incite extremism from mosques, in an implicit reference to the Muslim Brotherhood group, which authorities banned in late 2013.

The Ministry of Religious Endowments said in a statement that it plans to remove all books that incite extremism from mosque libraries.

Ministry Undersecretary Gaber Tayee said ministry officials have been instructed to check all books in mosque libraries to make sure “they fit with Islam’s tolerance.”

“Any book authored by a Salafist or a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or Gamaa Islamiya will be removed,” he said.

A ministry official had earlier said that books written by former Brotherhood leader Sayed Qotb and prominent scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi had been found in some mosque libraries.

Egypt has been dogged by turmoil since President Mohamed Morsi was ousted in a military coup in 2013 following protests against his administration.

Since Morsi's overthrow, Egyptian authorities have carried out a relentless crackdown on dissent that has mainly targeted the ousted president’s supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands behind bars.

The Muslim Brotherhood was designated a “terrorist organization” by the Egyptian government in late 2013. The Brotherhood, for its part, says it is committed to peaceful activism.