"I Am a Bearded Officer" Coalition has announced they will run a series of meetings at security directorates and other police facilities across Egypt, under the slogan "Support for God's religion and call to Allah."

Headed by police captain Hany El-Shakry, who was recently suspended for growing his beard pursuant to Islamic teachings, the newly formed coalition consists of officers and law-ranking policemen who believe they have the right to grow their beards.

As announced on its Facebook page, the coalition also suggested a new law that aims to end "chaos, bribery and misuse of authority" within the police ranks.

The draft law, which was submitted to the People's Assembly (Parliament's lower house), is tailored to "preserve the rights of everyone working in the line of law enforcement and also to guarantee civilians an unprecedented degree of security in the street."

The "bearded policemen" appeared a few months after the Islamist political forces, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist Nour Party, seized over 70 per cent of parliamentary seats.

According to Ministry of Interior codes of discipline, policemen are forced to shave their beards. Consequently, the emergence of bearded officers stirred up controversy across the country