Minister of Religious Affairs Reveals His Vision: Renewing Religious Discourse and Training Imams through Technology
Ahmed Toufiq, the Minister of Religious Affairs and Islamic Affairs, confirmed that his ministry’s vision focuses on a core objective: establishing a rational, open, and balanced religious discourse that effectively contributes to enhancing citizens’ spiritual security and protecting society from extremist thinking and behavioral deviations. This announcement was made in response to a question from parliamentary advisor Khaled Sati, where Toufiq emphasized the ministry’s particular attention to the issue of citizen education, considering it a top priority. This focus is being implemented through the modernization of both material and human resources, the development of religious discourse, and the qualification of those in charge of it, ensuring the protection of citizens’ spiritual security and enhancing their religious and national awareness.
The minister revealed that updating the tools of religious work and qualifying the human resources responsible for dissemination requires intensive investment in digital technologies to establish values of moderation and balance. Toufiq explained that the development of religious discourse goes through the improvement of Friday sermons and the production of informational religious programs in coordination with the Quranic Channels Directorate, such as the television program “They Ask You,” which addresses citizens’ inquiries and reinforces correct values. The development also includes expanding digital communication through more than 300 digital platforms affiliated with local and regional scientific councils, as well as the ministry’s leading official website, in addition to the establishment of specialized platforms like the Mohammed VI Platform for Hadith and the Platform for the Holy Quran and Its Sciences.
Regarding human resources, the Minister of Religious Affairs noted that the training and qualification of imams, preachers, and guides take place within modern training programs supervised by the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, focusing particularly on digital communication skills and interaction with the audience, keeping up with intellectual and social developments, as well as implementing the Scholars’ Charter plan. In this context, Toufiq indicated that the annual financial allocations dedicated to improving education and training in traditional madrasas and Quranic memorization institutions amount to approximately 313 million dirhams, emphasizing the government’s commitment to integrating this sector into the national education system and developing it. He pointed out that the ministry has prepared a terms of reference to ensure the transparent and objective management of public support for these institutions, enhancing their scientific and educational impact.
