Imams looking to fill mosque vacancies must satisfy new education requirements and be younger than 45 years of age.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 18/02/10
The appointment and removal of imams and khatibs in Moroccan mosques will now follow a specific employment code as part of efforts to curb extremism, the Ministry for Islamic Affairs announced this week.
The new code, as reported in the February 11th edition of newspaper Attajdid, stipulates that a committee headed by a ministry representative will now appoint new imams. The committee will also include two members from the Ulema Council and two members of the ministry's directorate, who will convene to sift through applications for the posts in a transparent manner.
Justice and Development Party (PJD) MP Lahcen Daoudi criticised this measure, saying that imams will now "be like an employee of the ministry".
"I don't think that the management of mosques can be made through bureaucrats," he told Magharebia on Monday, adding newly hired imams may be subjected to "pressure".
In order to be selected as an imam, preachers must possess a recommendation from the Ulema Council, a certificate of Qur'an memorization, a certificate from an imam or khatib and a spotless police record. Candidates older than 45 are not eligible for consideration.
The new code also outlines the application process for mosque openings. After an opening is announced, candidates have 15 days to submit their applications, which will then be reviewed by the hiring committee.
The ministry has also formally designated formal grounds for dismissal for imams and khatibs. Imams who swear in the mosque, are convicted in court or use drugs will be sacked under the new code.
The new regulations have been set in place to ensure that mosque leaders possess a higher level of education and adopt a more moderate approach to preaching.
Several Moroccans expressed concern over the government's attempts to regulate the hiring and firing of imams.
Moroccan terrorism analyst Mohammed Darif told Magharebia on Monday that Morocco is looking to "ensure certain qualities in imams related to the principles of the nation and keenness on [religious unity]".
Darif said the new code is an attempt by the state to monitor the mosques and combat some sects that authorities consider dangerous. For the analyst, this became clear before the 2003 Casablanca attacks, when the ministry "established certain measures for the appointment of clerics".
Other Moroccans are concerned that the new qualifications for imams will make it harder to fill vacant posts in mosques.
"By imposing these conditions, the ministry will face difficulties in finding people who are under the age of 45 and memorize the Qur'an, given that they are few in number," Abdelbarii Zemzami, a founder of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, told Magharebia on Monday.
MP Daoudi rejected the imposition of an age limit as "wrong".
"What's the guilt of a person whose age exceeds that limit and can be the best to handle the position of imam or khatib in the mosque?" he asked.
The imam employment code is the latest step taken by Morocco to curb extremism in mosques. In June 2009, the government initiated a training program for 45,000 imams throughout the country to modernize religious instruction.
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/18/feature-02.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 18/02/10
The appointment and removal of imams and khatibs in Moroccan mosques will now follow a specific employment code as part of efforts to curb extremism, the Ministry for Islamic Affairs announced this week.
The new code, as reported in the February 11th edition of newspaper Attajdid, stipulates that a committee headed by a ministry representative will now appoint new imams. The committee will also include two members from the Ulema Council and two members of the ministry's directorate, who will convene to sift through applications for the posts in a transparent manner.
Justice and Development Party (PJD) MP Lahcen Daoudi criticised this measure, saying that imams will now "be like an employee of the ministry".
"I don't think that the management of mosques can be made through bureaucrats," he told Magharebia on Monday, adding newly hired imams may be subjected to "pressure".
In order to be selected as an imam, preachers must possess a recommendation from the Ulema Council, a certificate of Qur'an memorization, a certificate from an imam or khatib and a spotless police record. Candidates older than 45 are not eligible for consideration.
The new code also outlines the application process for mosque openings. After an opening is announced, candidates have 15 days to submit their applications, which will then be reviewed by the hiring committee.
The ministry has also formally designated formal grounds for dismissal for imams and khatibs. Imams who swear in the mosque, are convicted in court or use drugs will be sacked under the new code.
The new regulations have been set in place to ensure that mosque leaders possess a higher level of education and adopt a more moderate approach to preaching.
Several Moroccans expressed concern over the government's attempts to regulate the hiring and firing of imams.
Moroccan terrorism analyst Mohammed Darif told Magharebia on Monday that Morocco is looking to "ensure certain qualities in imams related to the principles of the nation and keenness on [religious unity]".
Darif said the new code is an attempt by the state to monitor the mosques and combat some sects that authorities consider dangerous. For the analyst, this became clear before the 2003 Casablanca attacks, when the ministry "established certain measures for the appointment of clerics".
Other Moroccans are concerned that the new qualifications for imams will make it harder to fill vacant posts in mosques.
"By imposing these conditions, the ministry will face difficulties in finding people who are under the age of 45 and memorize the Qur'an, given that they are few in number," Abdelbarii Zemzami, a founder of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, told Magharebia on Monday.
MP Daoudi rejected the imposition of an age limit as "wrong".
"What's the guilt of a person whose age exceeds that limit and can be the best to handle the position of imam or khatib in the mosque?" he asked.
The imam employment code is the latest step taken by Morocco to curb extremism in mosques. In June 2009, the government initiated a training program for 45,000 imams throughout the country to modernize religious instruction.
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/18/feature-02.
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