Egypt clamps down on religious ritual
The Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf has imposed a series of strict conditions on religious retreats held in mosques during Ramadan.
CAIRO — A popular religious ritual is receiving extra scrutiny from officials in Egypt this Ramadan.
The practice of itikaf, a period of retreat in a mosque where Muslims can distance themselves from worldly affairs and concentrate on religious activities, is most commonly observed during the last 10 days of Ramadan, in keeping with the example set by the Prophet Muhammad.
