Shia Islam In Egypt
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Shia Islam in Egypt refers to the community of
Shia Muslims Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
living in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
.


History and culture

Shia Islam has historical roots in Egypt dating back to the
Fatimid Caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate (; ), also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa and West Asia, i ...
, an Isma'ili Shia dynasty that ruled Egypt from 969 to 1171. The Fatimids established
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
as their capital and significantly influenced Egypt's cultural identity. They also founded
Al-Azhar University The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...
in 970, originally as a Shia mosque and center for learning, making it one of the oldest continuously operating universities globally. However, Egypt's general population remained predominantly Sunni before, during, and after Fatimid rule. Isma'ili Shiism was primarily practiced by Egypt's ruling elites rather than by the general populace.


Population estimates

Estimates of Egypt's Shia Muslim population vary significantly. Shia activists claim their numbers exceed one million, whereas Salafist groups suggest only a few thousand. According to ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'', estimates range widely from 50,000 to one million. Minority Rights Group International places the number between 800,000 and two million, out of Egypt's total population of approximately 90 million.


Persecution

Egypt's small Shia minority experiences frequent harassment and suspicion from state authorities. Human rights groups, including the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, have documented systematic mistreatment of Shia Muslims in Egypt, noting that they often face arbitrary arrests purportedly for security concerns, accompanied by abusive treatment targeting their religious identity. In December 2012, a report by the UNHCR highlighted that Egyptian Shias remained unable to openly perform their religious rituals and continued facing legal action on charges such as blasphemy. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom consistently categorizes Egypt as a "country of particular concern," citing systematic violations of religious freedom. Egyptian authorities have intervened repeatedly to prevent Shia religious observances. In December 2011, security forces stopped Shia worshippers from celebrating Ashura at Cairo's El-Hussein Mosque, forcibly dispersing participants after Salafi groups accused them of performing rituals deemed offensive. In May 2012, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb convened Islamist scholars, Muslim Brotherhood representatives, and Salafists, collectively expressing rejection of perceived efforts to spread Shia Islam within Egypt. On 23 June 2013, following sustained anti-Shia rhetoric by local Salafi elements, a mob of several hundred Sunni residents in the village of Abu Mussalam in Giza, attacked the home of Shia cleric Hasan Shahhata, killing him and three of his followers and publicly dragging their bodies through the streets. Reports noted that police failed to intervene during the incident. Amnesty International called upon Egyptian authorities to initiate an independent investigation and publicly denounce violence and incitement against Shia Muslims. As of 2017, non-governmental organizations continued reporting anti-Shia violence and propaganda. Shia Egyptians reportedly face societal discrimination, denial of basic services, and frequent derogatory slurs. Anti-Shia sentiment is also perpetuated through educational institutions, with clerics educated at Al-Azhar University openly labelling Shia adherents as infidels and advocating their social marginalization.


Notable people

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...
, was the last monarch of Iran. He obtained Egyptian citizenship in 1979, and passed away in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
in 1980.


Shi'a organizations

Below are a few Egyptian Shia organizations: * ''Congregation of
Ahl Al-Bayt () refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, the term has also been extended to all descendants of the Banu Hashim (Muhammad's clan) and even to all Muslims. In Shia Islam, the term is limited to Muhammad, his daugh ...
'', headed by Mohamed El-Derini. * ''Shia Current'', headed by Mohamed Ghoneim


References


External links

* * {{Demographics of Egypt