Egypt announced today it has begun distributing aid to a number of Islamic militants, freed from jail after turning their backs on violence against the state, to mark the Muslim Eid al-Adha feast.
The interior ministry said it was handing out food, clothes, sewing machines and money to spend on education for the "repentant" Islamists or their children, the state-owned MENA news agency reported.
"This step is part of the ministry's policy of rehabilitating them and reintegrating them into society to make honorable people of them," a statement from the ministry said.
The ministry did not say how many would benefit from the assistance or how much would be spent on the campaign, but said it would target Islamists who had been released "after renouncing the activities of extremist groups."
Some will also be offered jobs as part of the scheme, the ministry said, without specifying what kind of employment they would receive.
Last July, the Egyptian authorities freed 500 members of armed Islamic groups who have renounced their goal to topple the government and who were not responsible for bloodshed.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in attacks by Islamic groups since 1992, but these attacks stopped three years ago.
Every Muslim family is expected to slaughter a sheep during Eid al-Adha, the three-day feast of the sacrifice which begins Monday and marks the culmination of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
Arab leaders regularly free prisoners or offer conciliatory gestures on Muslim feasts.
AFP