AMMAN,
August 4 (IslamOnline.net) - Jordanian government has decided to
impose a "code of practice" on Islamic preachers as of
October 2000, a controversial move aimed for tightening control on
mosques and halt criticism of US occupation of neighboring Iraq.
"Efforts
are underway for drawing a code for preaching and guidance in Jordan.
Mosque preachers will abide by it as a code of practice," said
Minister of Waqfs (Endowments) Ahmed Hulayel in press statements.
Calling
for moderation, Hulayel said the code will come into force in October
as part of a plan including courses for "promoting qualifications
of preachers and raise their awareness of Arabic, English, computer
skills and culture".
The
statements came as mosque preachers have launched scathing attacks at
the US occupation of the oil-rich Iraq, entering into its second year
now, as well as the American-backed Baghdad government.
More
Measures
This
came as the Interior Ministry has taken other measures to
"regulate preaching", in what seems to be an official trend.
Calls
from the ministry came to governors to monitor Friday speeches given
by unlicencesed preachers on fears they could instigate worshippers
against policies of the government and defame others.
The
new measures include suspending preachers from duty in accordance with
the "Preaching and Guidance Law" and Penal Code.
At
recent months, a number of preachers in the most famous mosques in
Amman and southern Jordan accused Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi of
collaboration with Washington and opened a heavy fire on the US
occupation of Iraq.
Anti-American
sentiments have grown in Arab countries after the American-led
invasion of Iraq that was justified by the search for Iraq's alleged
weapons of mass destruction. None of these arms have been found so
far, raising fears the offensive was based on false pretexts.
Muslim
Brotherhood
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"We
go with moderation in mosque preaching, but at away which does not
cancel discussions on issues of the nation," Mansour
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The
government accused mosque preachers of misusing their posts for
political purposes, a move politicians say targeting the Muslim
Brotherhood, most of its members were prevented from preaching after
the start of the Palestinian Intifada against Israeli occupation in
September 2000.
"We
go with moderation in mosque preaching, but at a way which does not
cancel discussions on issues of the nation," Muslim Brotherhood
Party Secretary General Hamza Mansour told IslamOPnline.net on
Tuesday, August 3.
Mansour
lamented that the group’s preachers are the most bearing the brunt
of the government’s measures.
"The
government had promised our preachers to mount platforms again. And it
didn't happen," he said.
The
government has promoted an official discourse stressing importance of
moderation, as Amman hosted a number of seminars and workshops meant
to launch a dialogue between religions and close ranks between sects.
On
July 24, Jordanian King Abdullah II also called on Muslims to make all
efforts for boosting moderate thoughts and balanced behavior in
preaching.
In
Aftermath of 9/11
Ibrahim
Zayyed Al-Kilani, a former minister of Waqfs, admitted that the need
for reforming mosque preaching is inevitable, but there are still some
buts.
"Moderation
is till a concept much larger than asking the Ministry of Waqfs to
steer away from speeches attacking the United States and some Arab
countries," said Al-Kilani, the head of the Islamic Action Front,
the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The
government has begun adopting a new strategy after the September 11
attacks, including control of religious institutions, one of the main
sources for moving "pulse of the street" towards Arab and
Islamic causes.
Jordanians
usually go to mosques where preachers dwell on political issues as the
situation in Iraq, Palestine and normalization with Israel. The
speeches help stoke up anti-American and anti–Israeli sentiments
among Jordanians.
Most
popular protests have saw demonstrators converging at Al-Husseini
Mosque and Al-Kalouti Mosque, which is a few meters away from the
Israeli embassy in Amman.
There
are 3,000 Islamic waqfs in Jordan, including mosques and Qur’an
recital houses where 4,000 officials are employed.
