Imam filmed taunting Al Ahly from outside Zamalek club referred for urgent inquiry by Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments

An imam from Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments has been placed under urgent investigation after appearing in a viral video mocking Al Ahly’s failure to reach next season’s CAF Champions League, triggering widespread anger among football fans and social media users.

The footage, widely shared online in recent hours, shows the imam dressed in traditional Al-Azhar attire standing at the entrance gate of Zamalek SC, where he ridicules Al Ahly, Zamalek’s historic rivals, for missing out on qualification for Africa’s premier club competition.

The clip sparked a fierce backlash on social media platforms, with many users arguing that the comments and the setting were inappropriate for someone wearing religious robes and representing a state religious institution.

Critics said the imam’s remarks, made in a football context, undermined the dignity associated with Al-Azhar dress and blurred the line between religious responsibility and club rivalry.

Ministry announces probe

In response to the growing controversy, Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments issued an official statement via its verified Facebook page, confirming that an immediate investigation had been launched into the incident.

The ministry said it would “take the appropriate measures” to protect its public image, uphold the mission of its imams and safeguard the respect due to the Al-Azhar uniform.

It noted that the imam had spoken on a subject that was “non-preaching” in nature and had done so in a manner that involved mockery, something the ministry considered inconsistent with the conduct expected of its preachers.

The statement did not disclose the identity of the imam or specify the potential disciplinary sanctions he could face, but stressed that the matter was being treated with urgency.

Football rivalry at the heart of the row

The row comes against the backdrop of one of Egyptian football’s fiercest rivalries, between Cairo giants Al Ahly and Zamalek, whose supporters are known for their intense and often emotionally charged exchanges.

The imam’s remarks focused on Al Ahly’s sporting fortunes last season, when the club missed out on a spot in the CAF Champions League after finishing third in the Egyptian Premier League table.

That position secured Al Ahly qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup instead, a secondary continental competition.

By contrast, Zamalek and Pyramids FC claimed the league positions that carried qualification to the CAF Champions League, ensuring their participation in the top-tier African tournament in the coming campaign.

It was this contrast in fortunes that the imam highlighted mockingly in the video, choosing the symbolic location of the Zamalek club gate to aim his barbs at Al Ahly’s failure to reach the continent’s flagship competition.

Wider debate over conduct of religious figures

The incident has fed into a broader online debate in Egypt about the public behaviour of religious officials, the boundaries of their involvement in everyday life, and the extent to which they should engage in heated subjects such as football rivalries.

Many social media users stressed that, while personal club allegiances are common across all sections of Egyptian society, including among religious figures, expressing them in a mocking way while in official religious dress risked damaging public confidence in state religious institutions.

The Ministry of Religious Endowments has not specified when its investigation will conclude, but has made clear that it views the preservation of the imam’s message and the “dignity of Al-Azhar dress” as central to its response.