Egyptian cleric dies after alleged bullying
The man was heckled while delivering Friday sermon, eye-witnesses say
Cairo: A provincial Muslim cleric died after he had been exposed to alleged bullying while delivering a sermon in a mosque, local media reported.
Mohammad Abdul Aleem, a reciter of the Holy Quran, was asked to deliver the weekly sermon that precedes the noon Friday prayer after a government-appointed preacher had failed to show up in time in the mosque in Al Munefia governorate last week, north of Cairo, news portal Masrawy said.
While delivering the sermon, the 42-year-old cleric was insulted by a worshipper who attempted along with others to force Abdul Aleem outside the mosque, the portal said, quoting his friends.
“The worshipper hurled insults at him and demanded him to leave the [sermon] pulpit,’’ they added.
The situation deeply aggrieved the cleric and his health deteriorated quickly, they added.
He reportedly went to his home feeling devastated and told people who tried to console him that he would not forget those who had hurt him. He later died of a heart attack due to the al-tercation, according to the report.
There was no comment from local authorities.