Adapting moderate approach to serve cultural security, maintain spiritual stability

HE the Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem al-Ghanem affirmed that the ministry has adopted a moderate approach according to a perspective that serves comprehensive cultural security and maintains spiritual stability, as these efforts have effectively resulted in strengthening immunisation, prevention and protection of young people in the Qatari society from the ideas of extremism.
This came in an exclusive interview with HE the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs with Qatar News Agency (QNA), in which he said that the ministry also adopts a clear reference strategy that focuses on supporting various areas of development, foremost of which are the areas of social protection, population, workforce, sustainable development, renewing religious discourse in accordance with conditions that respond to contemporary issues, supporting family cohesion, modernising Islamic culture programmes, and strengthening relations with the Islamic world and Muslim minorities around the world.
He added that this strategy also contributes to the field of social protection with a disciplined investment of the resources of endowment disbursement channels and zakat according to their legitimate channels, and to work diligently to activate co-operation and strategic partnership with community institutions.
He said the ministry’s message is concerned with the Islamic religious issue in the society, and enhancing the role of the message of Islam in consolidating human values, lofty moral principles and ideals, and confirming its lasting impact in promoting the life of the entire community, by spreading Islamic culture according to a moderate approach to a civilized project that is based on Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah, as well as the strengthening of the role and message of the mosque in society.
On the ministry’s most prominent directions and plans to activate the role of mosques, he stressed the ministry’s keenness to activate the message of mosques and supervising them, as they contribute mainly to the advancement and cohesion of society, based on the status of mosques in the Islamic religion, and to employ imams, preachers and muezzins who are qualified with Islamic knowledge. Rehabilitation programmes and courses for them continued as they have the honour to serve the houses of God Almighty and lead the worshippers, with a correct understanding and a moderate approach within the framework of the authentic values of Islam, and to contribute to reviving the role of the mosque in society as well as their efforts through social media platforms and Islamic websites according to a balanced religious discourse.
Regarding the ministry’s plans to attract Qatari imams and preachers in the country’s mosques, the minister explained that the ministry is making determined efforts to attract and rehabilitate Qatari imams and preachers, and allocates financial and other incentives for them to encourage and motivate Qatari youth to engage in imams and preachers qualification programmes, in order to achieve the ministry’s strategy that it has pursued in the continuous caring and development of the sons of the country, to carry out their duty to the fullest extent in informing people of their religion, and spreading moderation and tolerant and the lofty morals of the true Islamic religion, as well as to carry out their advocacy tasks in the appropriate manner and required by Sharia, and to contribute to reviving the role of the mosque in society, where the number of Qatari imams reached 185 and the number of preachers reached 158.
About the most prominent features of the development witnessed by the endowment in Qatar during the past years and the current plans and mechanisms for its development, he said the features of the development witnessed by the endowment in the country through the General Directorate of Endowments are numerous, and the most important of them lies in the development in the disbursement of endowment revenues, by launching the slogan “Endowment Represents a Community Partnership”, and expanding the partnership sector with government and private entities, in addition to developing and investing endowments, based on the Directorate’s slogan “endowment is investment and development”, as many new endowments were opened, and endowment process has been governed, through the issuance of the new endowment law, followed by the issuance of a decision to achieve transparency requirements, all of which contributed to the governance of endowments and the development of its administrative performance.
On the urban character in Qatar, which has recently distinguished the country’s mosques with designs that reflect its excellence, he pointed out that the ministry had launched many modern models for building mosques in Qatar, noting that a committee of engineers and experts from several ministries participated in designing modern mosques in Qatar, so that these designs are of the best international standards and specifications, and in accordance with an Islamic perspective in line with Qatari heritage.
On the exceptional global project in its writing and design “Mus’haf Qatar”, which was inaugurated by Qatar in 2008, the minister said the journey of this project, which has started in 1991, represents the vision of an Amir and the march of a State, explaining that this project is a historical milestone for Qatar, as it carries a great meaningfulness for the State, given that it is a renewed and modernised transcript of the Holy Qur’an in the name of Qatar.
The first international competition of its kind for Arabic calligraphy was held, which gathered about 120 of the most skilled calligraphers in the Islamic world.
He added that four editions of Mus’haf Qatar have been made so far, adding that the fifth edition is underway, while about 2.5 million copies of the Mus’haf Qatar have been distributed since its printing inside and outside Qatar. This distribution is carried out externally in more than 100 countries in different continents of the world, through the embassies of Qatar in those countries, and in co-ordination with the Ministries of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Islamic centres, universities and international Islamic personalities, he added.
On the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs’ role towards many Islamic centres established by Qatar abroad, he explained that the ministry — represented by the Department of Islamic Affairs — implemented many advocacy, educational and cultural projects in a number of Arab, Islamic and European countries, as well as in the Americas, which included the establishment of Mosques, schools, service complexes, homes for the Holy Qur’an, Islamic and cultural centres. These projects contribute to strengthening the integration processes of Muslims in those societies and to introducing the bright face of Islam to coexistence and civilisational integration.
On the most prominent developments on Islam Web during the past years as a global Islamic window serving millions of Muslims around the world, the minister said the Islamic Network website affiliated to the Department of Da’wah and Religious Guidance and was established under the umbrella of the Endowment Bank for Scientific and Cultural Development was able to embody the true meaning of keeping pace with the requirements and needs of the modern era, to be a link between Muslims around the world and to be a view for Muslims around the world on a distinguished Islamic website that provides them with legal frameworks and Islamic concepts according to the moderate approach, which shows the tolerance and justice of Islam and its distance from the concepts of extremism and violence, in addition to the consolidation of Islamic facts and the call to adhere to the Holy Qur’an and the honourable Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).
About the most prominent preparations of the ministry for Haj season this year and the features of development in management and co-ordination of Haj and Umrah affairs, he said there is continuous communication and co-ordination between the ministry — represented by the Department of Hajj and Umrah Affairs — and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj. A delegation from the Department of Hajj and Umrah Affairs recently visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet with officials of the Saudi Ministry of Haj to view and be informed about the latest developments regarding the procedures and updates related to the Haj season of 1443 AH, and to co-ordinate regarding Qatar’s share of pilgrims for this year after an interruption that lasted for several years, he added.
On how the Holy Qur’an teaching centre can restore their activity after easing the precautionary and preventive measures imposed by Qatar after the Covid-19 crisis, the minister affirmed the keenness of the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs in its various departments since the beginning of the pandemic to take all preventive measures, taking advantage of modern electronic technology. – QNA