فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Ahmed Toufiq, the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, denied that his ministry has restricted the freedom of imams and preachers to discuss the war in the Gaza Strip. While he emphasized that calling for jihad is not within the purview of imams in mosques, he confirmed that they are allowed to denounce the ongoing injustices in Palestine.
During his attendance at the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and Islamic Affairs Committee meeting in the House of Representatives last Tuesday, Toufiq explained that the role of imams is to adhere to the teachings of the Prophet and promote the principles of religion without delving into specific event details. He stressed the importance of denouncing actions that contradict Islamic values.
Toufiq stated that it is within an imam’s right to condemn barbarism and injustice and to speak about Palestine; however, he firmly rejected calls for jihad due to their potential real-world repercussions. He noted that calls for jihad fall under political matters, and if an imam believes he is obligated to call for it, the first aspect negatively affected would be the political side, as the goal of sermons is to avoid chaos.
He further remarked, “We are looked down upon by everyone. I challenge anyone to say that a government council has discussed the situation of prison employees. For ten years, I have been speaking about their conditions, and no one has listened to me. But today we have reached a point of ‘disrespect’ in Parliament.” He concluded by stating, “I swear by God that I considered resigning and going my own way; it could have been handled with a bit more flexibility.”
