Egypt approves promotion of birth control

February 19, 2021 

A person shows third-generation contraceptive pills in a pharmacy on January 2, 2013 [PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP via Getty Images]

February 19, 2021 at 3:18 pm

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta, the national body responsible for issuing religious edicts, said yesterday that there is no objection to the state taking whatever means and measures it deems necessary to regulate the country's birth rate.

"Islam differentiates between preventing pregnancy and abortion, and it permits the former if there is a fear that a large number of children will not be able to be looked after," explained Dar Al-Ifta. "Birth control because of fear of hardship is not forbidden by Islam because it is a matter of considering the consequences of having many children."

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has warned citizens repeatedly about the danger of population growth, stressing that the matter is very important for "a better and more prosperous" country. "Trust me, having more than two children is a big problem," he said at a recent event.

Egypt is one of the most populous countries in the Arab world with a total of 101.5 million citizens, according to official data. The North African country's population is predicted to reach 153.7 million by 2050.