Former Egyptian Minister of Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa called for thinking seriously about the status of refugees in Egypt. Citing the rising cost of food and petroleum subsidies, Gomaa argued that those residing illegally or whose home countries are no longer in conflict should return home.
The call for a policy shift comes as Egypt grapples with intensifying economic pressure. Writing on his official Facebook page, Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, who also serves as a member of the Islamic Research Academy, linked the need for this discussion directly to the rising bill for petroleum and food subsidies.
Illegal Residency and the Return to Home Countries
Gomaa specifically targeted the status of refugees who are staying in the country illegally. He asserted that for those whose home regions or countries are no longer experiencing war, their original homelands are more entitled to them than Egypt is.
Human Rights and Strategic Treatment of Refugees
While pushing for the return of certain groups, Gomaa also criticized how refugees are currently handled. He highlighted the existence of injustices, specifically the inhumane treatment of some individuals, which he believes exacerbates their suffering.
He argued for the development of more effective strategies that ensure human rights and justice, suggesting that the current approach is often unfair.
Religious Rulings on Organ Donation and Capital Punishment
Parallel to his comments on migration, Gomaa addressed a debate regarding the harvesting of organs from prisoners sentenced to death.
The person sentenced to death has received his legal and Sharia punishment, as required by law and religion, and then returns to a generous Lord, whose command is entirely His; if He wills, He pardons and honors by His grace, and if He wills, He holds accountable and punishes by His justice, and no one other than He, Glory be to Him, possesses anything of the matter of the Hereafter.
Gomaa further clarified the Sharia requirements for organ donation, stating that taking any organ from a human body—whether the donor is alive or dead—is strictly forbidden unless the person donated of their own free will and the agreement was legally documented. He emphasized that the law rejects any action that violates an individual’s will.
