[MAGHAREBIA] Algeria is calling on imams to become fully engaged in the fight against extremism and obscurantism."Mosques also have a part to play in preserving society and protecting it against division and hatred," Religious Affairs Minister Bouabdellah Ghlamallah said on Wednesday (January 22nd).
Ghlamallah highlighted the values of tolerance which are deeply rooted in Algerian society.
He also recalled the Algerian people's support at the ballot box for national reconciliation, "thus placing the interests of the country supremely ahead of any other consideration".
The minister on January 16th also announced that "800 imams were trained between 2010 and 2012" and described this result as a "gradual" improvement to address the public's grievances.
"1,500 imam-lecturers and 240 principal imams, as well as muezzins and Qur'an teachers, have been recruited," he noted, adding that his department was drafting university graduates who would then undergo further training at religious institutions.
The Algerian government made its position clear.
It wants to take back control of mosques used by krazed killer groups during the "black decade" to spread messages of hatred and violence towards all those who did not share their views.
The government published a decree earlier this month to regulate these institutions, which number around 20,000 in Algeria.
This first-of-a-kind law in the country aims to enable mosques to play their primary role independently of political or other influences.
"Mosques play a guiding role, which is to bring order to what is good and outlaw what is bad," Article 8 of the decree states.
To this end, these religious institutions must "help strengthen religious and national unity, protect society from fanatical, krazed killer and excessive ideas, foster and consolidate the values of tolerance and solidarity in society, combat violence and hatred, and counter anything that could harm the country", the law says.
The law also strictly forbids "the use of mosques for the purposes of illicit or personal or collective goals or for purely material ends". Article 12 prohibits the "use of mosques to harm people or groups".
The Algerian government said that mosques should not only serve as places of worship, but also have a role in the cultural, educational and social spheres.
Authorities also wanted to regulate fund-raising in mosques. During the "Black Decade", funds were used to help terrorist groups. But now, under the new law, "collections in mosques shall be subject to administrative authorisation".
"The time has come for mosques to regain their rightful place in society," said sociologist Ahmed Kheldoun. "They should no longer be seen merely as places of worship."
"Mosques must support Algerian society in the educational and social fields too," he added.
Slima Rabhi, an academic, was delighted that this decree has been published: "Mosques must play a unifying role, not the opposite."
"Extremism and exclusion must be banned in these places to make way for messages of peace, reconciliation and openness," she noted.