Israeli media have warned of the growth of "kuttabs," or Islamic schools, that teach Quranic studies in Egyptian mosques during the summer, claiming they will produce generations of extremists and anti-Israelis.
According to a report by the Israeli news website Natsiv, titled "Extremely Worrying!", Egypt is taking worrying steps to address the growing activity of the "kuttabs" in Egypt, it claims.
The Hebrew website noted that Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly had ordered the establishment of thousands of "kuttabs," or "schools of learning," in mosques across Egypt.
Kuttabs are religious schools for children in pre-school and during school during the summer months, where the memorization and study of religious texts is the focus of education.
The Hebrew website criticized Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Egypt's highest religious institution, for attacking European imams who recently visited Israel, describing Al-Azhar's statement on the matter as extremist and dangerous, similar to the rhetoric of ISIS.
Kuttabs in Egypt are traditional educational institutions that were once widespread, teaching children the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as memorizing the Holy Quran and Islamic teachings. Kuttabs in Egypt have recently witnessed a revival through government initiatives to revitalize their role in society.
Kuttabs were places where children learned the basics of the Arabic language, reading and writing, as well as arithmetic. They were also an important place for memorizing the Holy Qur’an and learning the principles of the Islamic religion.
Generations of scholars and leaders graduated from the Kuttab, who contributed to building Egyptian society throughout the ages. They also played a role in preserving the Arabic language in Egypt during periods of occupation, according to Egyptian media reports.
The Egyptian Ministry of Endowments launched an initiative to revive the Kuttab (Islamic school) with the aim of teaching the Holy Quran in a sound educational manner and raising generations with religious and moral values.
The initiative includes two types of Kuttabs: physical Kuttabs in specific locations, such as mosque annexes, and virtual Kuttabs via modern communication media. The initiative seeks to discover talent, combat extremism, and establish a cohesive and educated society.
It's worth noting that at the end of last year, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discussed with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Endowments Osama al-Azhari the ministry's initiative to revive the "kuttab" (Islamic school) system.
