Last week:
There won’t be a ban on bikinis or alcohol in Egypt just yet. According to the country’s Tourism Minsiter Hisham Zaazou, the government has no intention of cracking down on women who wear bikinis or foreigners coming to the country and want to have a drink of alcohol. It comes as tension between the conservative Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood government has increased, especially concerning the tourism sector.
“Bikinis are welcome in Egypt and booze is still being served,” Zaazou, speaking in English, told a news conference during a visit to the United Arab Emirates.
“We had talks with these Salafi groups and now they understand the importance of the tourism sector, but still you have some individuals that are not from the leadership saying these things,” added the minister, an independent who is not a member of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.
The Salafis may have reluctantly allowed that a bikini ban is counterproductive, but there are some tourists that
offend them even more:
Members of the culture committee of Egypt's Shura Council discussed their concerns on Monday about the possibility of Iranian tourism to Egypt, with some expressing fears that it
could spread Shiism in the country.
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| Dangerous almost naked woman, for illustrative purposes |
According to Ahram's Arabic news website, members of the committee called on Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazou to discuss the issue in the council, the country's upper house of parliament which is holding legislative powers until a house of representatives is elected.
"The Shias are more dangerous than naked [women]," MP Tharwat Attallah of the Salafist Nour Party said during the meeting.
"They are a danger to Egypt's national security; Egyptians could be deceived into [converting to] Shiism, giving it a chance to spread in Egypt," he added.
First
Shiites are worse than Jews, now worse than naked women? Can any insult be worse?
