Egypt’s 1st lady: Ramadan holy month refreshes souls, provides tranquility

CAIRO – 23 April 2020: Egypt’s first lady on Thursday extended wishes to the Egyptian people and families over the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, saying it grants special “gifts, blessings and divine breath.”

The holy month of Ramadan “refreshes our souls and provides them with tranquility, calmness and love,” First Lady Entissar Amer said.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also congratulated the Egyptian Muslim communities abroad on the fasting month of Ramadan.

On Wednesday, President of the Evangelical Church in Egypt Andrea Zaki sent a cable of greetings to President Sisi on the occasion of the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

He also sent similar cables to Madbouli, Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed el Tayyeb, Awqaf Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa and Egypt's Mufti Shawqi Allam.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli is set to announce new preventive measures during this month soon on Thursday.

Egypt's Ministry of Culture's Ramadan agenda of activities

CAIRO - 22 April 2020: Egypt's Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem announced the Ramadan agenda, which comes under the umbrella of the e-initiative "Stay At Home, Culture is Between Your Hands".

Abstaining from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset daily during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, is a religious obligation for Muslims worldwide.

Dar Al-Iftaa, Egypt’s religious body concerned with issuing religious opinions (fatwas), has decided that the fear of being infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) should not be a reason for Muslims to stop fasting during Ramadan, after it said it consulted with a medical committee around the effects of fasting on human health.

However, Islam allows some Muslims to break their fasting, in certain conditions, including those who cannot fast due to chronic and permanent diseases.

Daily report
The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced Wednesday recording 169 new coronavirus cases and 12 deaths, raising the north African country’s total number of coronavirus cases to 3659 and deaths to 276.

All positive cases are placed under quarantine at isolation hospitals, the Ministry’s statement read.

The Ministry’s statement added that 65 of those infected with coronavirus, including two foreigners, were discharged from hospitals after receiving the necessary medical care. The total number of recoveries so far reached 935.