| NEWS\
Friday
18 April 2003 |
Many
Imams, Muezzins Sacked...
RIYADH,
17 April 2003 — In what was described as a move against
imaam's
“whose performance level has gone down,” Minister
of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Saleh Al-Sheikh has fired a substantial
number of imams and muezzins.
The
decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the minister and
attended by the heads of the central committees responsible
for implementing programs for mosques and their staff. Al-Sheikh
said most of the imaam's
and muezzins resigned, while others had to be replaced in
line with regulations.
The
minister said the move was part of a program to strengthen
links between the imams and the faithful. It was intended
to motivate them to carry out their duties following Qur’anic
injunctions, as some of them were found below par.
Al-Sheikh
called on imaam's
“to learn from well-versed scholars. They should
consult senior scholars on the issues they take up in the
sermons.”
He
also urged them to adhere to the authentic contents of the
holy book and the Sunnah
of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He
clarified the preachers had no right to put their own interpretation
on matters relating to creative interpretation.
The
minister took a swipe at preachers delivering sermons on matters
unconnected with the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
“It is inappropriate for preachers to convey
to the faithful political or news reports in their sermons,
as the preacher should be neither a broadcaster nor a journalist.”
The
preachers were given guidelines for the subjects of Friday
sermons, he said. “The duties of the preachers have
always been known. However, during their sermons, they sometimes
react to the difficult situation Muslims have lately been
facing, and then they make pronouncements that are not fully
compatible with the Sharee'ah,”
he added.
..........
Arab News
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