Ministry Of Religion Quickly Selects 100 Mosque Imams For UAE

Youtube screenshot of Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas during a working meeting with Commission VIII DPR RI, Monday 30 August (Photo: Asep Firmansyah/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion will speed up the selection of mosque imams for the United Arab Emirates with a target of recruiting 100 candidates for mosque imams, before President Joko Widodo visits the country in November 2021. The mosque to the United Arab Emirates is a strategic part of bilateral cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates," said Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas during a meeting with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives which was monitored virtually in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, August 30. Gus Yaqut admitted that the selection of mosque imams for the UAE was slow, because there were a number of conditions that were considered tough and strict. The conditions that must be met by prospective mosque imams are to memorize the Qur'an, be able to speak Arabic, and reciter. To this day, he said, only 33 imams have been netted or are still far from the target requested by the UAE Government, namely 200 mosque imams to 2022. "Finding a combination of these three things (memorization of the Koran, fluent Arabic, and reciter, ed.) is very difficult, but we keep trying. This year they (UAE, ed.) ask for 100, next year 100. That's what we pursue so that before President Jokowi's visit to the United Arab Emirates can be fulfilled," he said.

The Ministry of Religion opens the door for people who are interested in becoming imams of mosques in the UAE, as long as they meet the requirements. We can encourage it," said Yaqut. Previously, 213 Indonesian hafiz participated in the selection of mosque imam candidates for the UAE initiated by the Ministry of Religion. is a bilateral effort between two countries. Being an imam of a mosque in the UAE is a glory, pride and honor for Indonesia," he said. He explained that the UAE is a country that has a high level of diversity. become an agent for the Indonesian people in the UAE.