Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa provides training to Thai Muslim scholars

CAIRO – 7 July 2019: In cooperation with Thailand’s embassy in Cairo, the Egyptian Dar al-Iftaa – the Sunni institution concerning with issuing fatwas and Islamic laws- launched a training program on disseminating the Islamic moderate ideology for Thai Muslim scholars and Imams, said the institution in a statement on Saturday.

The 7-day training will tackle the moderation of Islam under title “The Characteristics of the Moderate Ideology,” the statement added, noting that the program will start on Sunday.

Dar al-Iftaa’s regular programs have been given to Thai students since 2016 for, according to a statement published on Dar Al-Iftaa’s official website. The statement clarified that the training program discusses some books used by terrorist groups, who trade in the name of Islam for their personal gains.

Since 2015, Dar al-Iftaa’s General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide has provided dozens number of training programs for would-be scholars and Imams of many countries; it provided a two-month training for 17 African Imams in 2019 March-April.

Furthermore, 17 Imams and Scholars have received a three-year training before going back to their homes for disseminating Islamic teachings. The graduated envoys went to Switzerland, Holland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Thailand, China, and Kyrgyzstan.

In 2017, the General Secretariat also gave training to 16 Imams of Islamic and Mosques in Britain on combating the terrorist ideology, enhancing social integration of Muslims, and fighting the Islamophobia.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has called Egypt’s religious institutions to renew religious discourse to provide the true message of peace and tolerance in Islam.

In his speech at the ceremony of Laylat al-Qadr at the Ministry of Endowment (Awqaf Ministry) on June 2, 2019, President Sisi said that Egypt’s main goal is to preserve the essence of religion, to raise the moderate religious awareness and combat the extremist threats among the youth, adding that the enlightened religious discourse is the best way to fight extremist ideology.