Azhar rejects Egypt govt decision to standardise Friday sermons
Al-Azhar says the decision to issue identical government-written scripts of
Friday sermons would abolish religious discourse and narrow the intellect of
preachers
Ahram Online , Wednesday 27 Jul 2016
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/1/236171/Egypt/Azhar-rejects-Egypt-govt-decision-to-standardise-F.aspx

Egypt's top Muslim body Al-Azhar has challenged a recent decision by the
government that requires preachers to read out standardised pre-written
sermons, saying it unanimously rejects it.

The Council of Senior Scholars, headed by Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed
Al-Tayeb, said the latest move amounts to "freezing religious discourse."

The endowments ministry announced two weeks ago that Muslim clerics would be
required to read from the same pre-written script during the weekly sermon
at Friday prayers, a move aimed at pushing moderate Islamic ideology and
combat extremism.

But opposition to the new move by the Muslim council could stand in the way
of its implementation.

The council said in a statement on Tuesday that the objective of crushing
radical views can be achieved through improving the potential of Muslim
clerics.

"Imams need serious training and knowledge...so they can be able to confront
radical and anomalous ideas through knowledge and the correct intellect."

The Ministry of Religious Endowments has since 2014 been setting topics for
weekly sermons delivered during Friday prayers across the country.

But the council said the latest decision of relying on an identical script
would in time make imams' thoughts shallow and make them unable to discuss
and scrutinise radical views or have the influence to warn people away from
them.

Under the Egyptian constitution, the 1000-year-old seat of Islamic learning
Al-Azhar is in charge of regulating Islamic preaching and Dawa. The
endowments ministry is responsible for administering mosques and Islamic
centres.

The chief of Al-Azhar's Islamic Research complex, Mohy Al-Din Afifi, said
on Tuesday there is no "sensitivity" between the Islamic body and the
ministry but highlighted they have yet to "coordinate with earth other" on
the mater.

He argued that the standardised script could open the door to underground
preaching--which is believed to have helped spread radical views.

The government's decision earlier this month has already sparked outcry
amongst many clerics who say scripted sermons would waste imam's talents and
fail to cater to different communities.

The move comes against the backdrop of repeated calls by Egyptian President
Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to renew Muslim religious discourse. He blames
"outdated religious discourse" for holding back Egypt and says radicalised
thinking has become a source of destruction for the rest of the world.

The endowments minister said he would not backtrack on its decision, adding
that the government-issued sermons would only be a "guideline" until a final
endorsement of the move by a committee of state-hired scholars.