Egypt's Dar Al Iftaa counsels Egyptians to be content during Ramadan

The advice seeks to explain on religious grounds the merits of satisfaction, or Ridah, as the economic crisis continues to bite

Muslim worshippers perform the evening prayers called Tarawih on the eve of the first day Ramadan at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo. Reuters.

Egypt’s official Islamic advisory board is urging its citizens to be content during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a series of posts on its official Facebook page, Dar Al Iftaa said Egyptians should become accustomed to being content with what God has given them and not desire what others have.

“To aspire to have what is in the possession of others and not be satisfied with what God has decreed leaves you wallowing in misery and torment and makes you constantly anxious and irate,” the board said in one post.

The posts don’t specifically say which segment of Egypt’s 104 million people they are referring to, but they are widely understood to be addressing those who have been affected the most by the country’s economic crisis.

Essentially, the posts seek to find religious grounds for the hardest-hit to remain calm, endure the economic crisis and hope for better days to come.

The government entirely blames the crisis on the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war, but critics claim that wrong spending priorities and growing domestic and foreign debt are equally to blame.

Significantly, the crisis has not spilt into unrest although popular discontent is palpable.

Egypt's Dar Al Iftaa has raised its public profile in recent years, lending unwavering support to the government, defending its policies and engaging in debates over issues with tenuous links to religion.

Its Ramadan posts are part of what appears to be a concerted effort by authorities to defuse popular discontent over the growing economic difficulties.

Part of that effort appears to be focused on pandering to Egyptians, using flowery language to praise their resilience and tenacity during hard times.

It’s not an easy undertaking in a country where an economic crisis defined by double-digit inflation riding on skyrocketing food prices, a dollar crunch and a sliding currency has dominated the national conversation for over a year and given rise to a wave of biting political satire and dark humour mostly aired on social media.

“Dealing with the economic crisis is a difficult task for both the government and the citizens,” said prominent lawmaker Tariq El Khouly.

“The government is doing everything it can to mitigate the impact of the crisis with ambitious social protection measures.”

That unenviable task has become even more difficult with the start of Ramadan, a time when Egyptians who observe the dawn-to-dusk fast consume more food, treat themselves to traditional delicacies and when merchants typically hike prices to take advantage of high demand.

Dar Al Iftaa has not been alone in trying to ease the hardship faced by Egyptians, nearly half of them are living under the poverty line or hovering just above it.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who has been in charge of the economy since coming to office in 2014, has declared unfeasible any attempt to police food outlets or fall back on the Socialist-era practice of controlling prices.

Instead, he has given a simple advice of his own: if you find the price of an item too high, he recently counselled, boycott the vendor and take your business elsewhere.

Last week, he had lavish praise for the resilience of Egyptians when addressing a large rally held to launch a campaign by an alliance of 33 non-governmental groups to help feed 25 million Egyptians during Ramadan.

“Appreciation and respect are due to the glorious people of Egypt,” the Egyptian leader told 60,000 volunteers gathered at Cairo’s international stadium.

“What we are witnessing today is a confirmation of the will power of our glorious people that shows their ability to transform a predicament into an advantage.”

He also sought to reassure Egyptians on the economy and boasted that attempts to “frighten” Egyptians over the fate of the country have failed.

“What you see today is a … genuine ability to move forward. With God’s will, there will be no problem,” said Mr El Sisi, who is widely expected to seek a new, six-year term in office in elections due next year.

The response of one public figure to the crisis, however, may have gone too far.

Tamer Ameen, a veteran pro-government talk show host, suggested last week that Egyptians should start eating horse and donkey meat since the price of beef and mutton has jumped beyond the reach of most.

“As far as I know, eating horse and donkey meat is not prohibited on religious grounds. In fact, it’s eaten by humans in many countries,” he claimed.

The response to the suggestion was a mix of fury and humour.

Dar Al Iftaa said it was haram, or prohibited, to eat horses and donkeys. Alaa Mubarak, son of the late autocratic president Hosni Mubarak, joined the hundreds of social media users who mocked and vilified Mr Amin for making that suggestion.

“What donkey meat, Mr Amin? With all due respect, it would be wise if you exercise caution and care when you deal with such material,” he told Mr Amin on Twitter.

Other social media suggested that Mr Amin did little to conceal that he wanted the poor, not the rich, to eat donkey and horse meat. Others proposed to slaughter a donkey outside the talk show host’s home and offer its meat to him and his family to eat.