Egyptian Imam Gebreel files complaint against travel ban
Ahram Online, Saturday 25 Jul 2015
Koran reader Gebreel has petitioned the Administrative Court, naming the Egyptian president, prime minister, prosecutor-general and interior minister in complaint


Egyptian preacher Mohamed Gebreel filed a complaint Saturday before the Administrative Court against a travel ban imposed upon him by authorities, reported Aswat Masriya.

The complaint was filed against the Egyptian president, prime minister, the prosecutor general and interior minister.

Gebreel said the decision was unconstitutional, adding that it is common practice for him to tour the world preaching in different mosques in Ramadan.

Last week, Egypt's airport authorities prevented Gebreel from traveling to London, less than 24 hours after the Ministry of Religious Endowments banned him from preaching in mosques in Egypt.

The ministry announced that it had banned Gebreel from leading prayers in public mosques in Egypt because he "used prayers for political purposes."

During one of the Ramadan-evening taraweeh prayers at the popular Amr Ibn Al-As Mosque in South Cairo, Gebreel appeared to criticise government officials, media, and religious preachers.

He pleaded to God to "protect us from corrupt media, the ignorance of rulers, and preachers who lead us astray."

The government has recently tightened regulations on religious practices at mosques, aiming "to combat the spread of extremist ideas."

The Ministry of Religious Endowments stipulated last year that all mosque imams and preachers must be certified by the government.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/136176.aspx