EGYPT BOLSTERS AUTHORITY OF CLERICS
CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has bolstered the authority of state-employed Islamic
clerics that could lead to the formation of a religious police force.

The regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has granted the
state-operated Al Azhar seminary the authority to supervise and seize
material deemed in violation of Islamic law. The regime has approved the
formation of an Al Azhar force to inspect book stores and kiosks for
material that counters the Sunni Islamic mainstream.

Al Azhar inspectors, however, can not make arrests, Egyptian officials said.
Instead, they can report violations to authorities for either subsequent
arrest or further investigation.

In May, Justice Minister Farouk Seif Nasser empowered Al Azhar clerics as
part of Egypt's campaign against Islamic opposition groups. Authorities have
arrested scores of Brotherhood members over the last two months on charges
of belonging to an illegal organization and seeking to overthrow the regime.
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