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| Egyptian Cleric Defends Forced Evacuation of Families From Sinai | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| CAIRO — A government-appointed Muslim clerical leader on Monday provided a religious defense of the forced evacuation of more than 1,100 families from the Sinai Peninsula in an attempt to root out militant extremists. | CAIRO — A government-appointed Muslim clerical leader on Monday provided a religious defense of the forced evacuation of more than 1,100 families from the Sinai Peninsula in an attempt to root out militant extremists. |
| “The danger, which threatens the homeland, and especially these people, is genuine,” Shawqi Allam, the mufti, or chief interpreter of Islamic law, said in a statement. | “The danger, which threatens the homeland, and especially these people, is genuine,” Shawqi Allam, the mufti, or chief interpreter of Islamic law, said in a statement. |
| His ruling was the latest attempt by the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to invoke interpretations of Islam for its own legitimacy. It came a day after the ministry that owns and oversees Egypt’s mosques threatened to fire any imam or employee who spread extremism — a term the government applies to most Islamist opposition. | His ruling was the latest attempt by the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to invoke interpretations of Islam for its own legitimacy. It came a day after the ministry that owns and oversees Egypt’s mosques threatened to fire any imam or employee who spread extremism — a term the government applies to most Islamist opposition. |
| Mr. Sisi, who led the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year, has said it is his job as president to help promote a correct interpretation of Islam, and his government has enlisted Muslim clerics to provide religious defense of its crackdown on its Islamist opponents. | Mr. Sisi, who led the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year, has said it is his job as president to help promote a correct interpretation of Islam, and his government has enlisted Muslim clerics to provide religious defense of its crackdown on its Islamist opponents. |
| The government last week announced the evacuation and demolition of hundreds of homes along the border in Sinai in its most drastic effort yet to counter attacks on soldiers and the police by militants, which have sharply escalated since Mr. Morsi’s ouster. Hundreds of soldiers and police officers have died, and on Oct. 24 at least 31 soldiers were killed in the deadliest attack. | The government last week announced the evacuation and demolition of hundreds of homes along the border in Sinai in its most drastic effort yet to counter attacks on soldiers and the police by militants, which have sharply escalated since Mr. Morsi’s ouster. Hundreds of soldiers and police officers have died, and on Oct. 24 at least 31 soldiers were killed in the deadliest attack. |
| Mr. Sisi’s government has partly blamed militants operating across the border from the Gaza Strip, which is dominated by the militant group Hamas, for the violence. Gaza has previously relied on a network of cross-border tunnels into Egypt to circumvent an Israeli blockade, and the forced evacuation of the border area is the government’s latest escalation of a drive to shut down the tunnels as well as to eradicate the militants. | Mr. Sisi’s government has partly blamed militants operating across the border from the Gaza Strip, which is dominated by the militant group Hamas, for the violence. Gaza has previously relied on a network of cross-border tunnels into Egypt to circumvent an Israeli blockade, and the forced evacuation of the border area is the government’s latest escalation of a drive to shut down the tunnels as well as to eradicate the militants. |
| The state news media reported that Mr. Sisi said the total compensation paid to those who lost their homes could reach as much as $140 million. | The state news media reported that Mr. Sisi said the total compensation paid to those who lost their homes could reach as much as $140 million. |
| “When people in Sinai leave their houses, we must provide them the suitable compensation,” Mr. Sisi said, according to the state news media. “We will never forget this sacrifice.” | “When people in Sinai leave their houses, we must provide them the suitable compensation,” Mr. Sisi said, according to the state news media. “We will never forget this sacrifice.” |