Will a thought-provoking parliamentary report about the dangers of extremism make a difference on the ground? A parliamentary report released this week blamed the sermons given by imams (Muslim preachers) at mosques before Friday prayers for cultivating a culture of extremism in Egypt, reports Gamal Essam El-Din . The 25-page report, produced by the People's Assembly's Religious Affairs Committee, accused Muslim clerics of "manipulating certain Qur'anic verses in order to disseminate intolerant ideas, as well as issue fiery religious fatwas which stir up anti-Western sentiments". The report -- based on 18 months of discussions regarding "the necessity of innovative religious discourse in the Islamic world" -- will be mulled over by the assembly over the next few weeks. In the months after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US, President Hosni Mubarak urged Islamic scholars and clerics to advance ideas of tolerance, rationality, openness, enlightenment, freedom, and respect for human rights in their religious teachings. The report is a direct result of that call, with the parliamentary committee inviting a wide spectrum of senior officials, religious leaders, and foreign ambassadors -- including Education Minister Hussein Kamel Bahaaeddin, Youth Minister Alieddin Hilal, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, Patriarch of the Orthodox Church Pope Shenouda III, and British Ambassador John Sawers -- to address the topic. According to the report, for more than 20 years, religious institutions -- in the form of thousands of mosques and churches -- have failed to convey true religious messages to their flocks. "Not only are most religious teachings still rife with a multitude of myths, but they also advocate extremism, hatred and isolationism." The report urged religious leaders to renounce all forms of terrorism, and respect people's intelligence in their discourse. According to the report, a great many religious figures insist on mixing religion with politics, as if they were lobbying for an Islamist state. According to Education Minister Bahaaeddin, extremist thought has penetrated universities and schools, and now plays a major role in shaping the minds of younger generations. The report also blamed Al-Azhar for not upholding a higher educational standard for its Islamic scholars. "The system is based more on rote memorisation than dialogue, analysis and deduction. It fosters a rigidity of thinking and strips generations of scholars of creativity and moderation. This in turn provides fertile breeding ground for extremism and fanaticism." The ramifications of that, according to the report, could be seen in the discourse of imams on such controversial issues as "family planning, banking, democracy, free thought, women's roles, and Muslim relations with Coptic Christians and the West". The report deplored the provocative language used by imams to "both instill fear and intimidation in their listeners, and make up for their lack of knowledge on how to adequately and reasonably address these issues". "It is highly regrettable that most imams refrain from keeping in touch with modern developments in science, technology and international politics," the report said. While admitting that the influence of a flourishing Western civilisation, with its overwhelming military power, has indeed posed some of the most dangerous, and malicious, challenges to the Islamic world, the report argued that imams have actually used these challenges to spread extremism in the name of defending Islam against Western infidels. One way this occurs is by encouraging people "to recreate the glories of Islam's past", rather than attempt to modernise themselves and develop a culture for the future. The report also accused extremists of fostering enmity between Islam and the arts, even though "Islam has nothing against art, and the historically great Islamic civilisations attest to this fact." Recommendations proffered by the report for improving the current state of Muslim discourse include urging imams to avoid political discussions in their Friday sermons. Instead, "they should concentrate on guiding people towards a harmonisation with modernity, encouraging them to be more cooperative, enlightened, tolerant, assertive and open." Friday sermons, suggested the report, should be confined to larger mosques to ensure that they are delivered efficiently, by knowledgeable and enlightened imams. Unqualified imams should be banned. The report was also critical of the Ministry of Information for broadcasting sensational TV shows "that contradict the lessons being delivered by objective religious programmes, leaving people torn". A culture of tolerance, the report said, means Muslim students should be taught Coptic culture and history. A joint higher council for religious preachers should also be formed to help ensure that people get the true and enlightened messages of both Islam and Christianity. Both Muslim and Christian clerics should establish a "charter of honour" requiring that their sermons be devoted to "ideals of patriotism, rationality, enlightenment and mutual respect," the report said. The report also had ideas on how to improve Islam's image in the West. "The religion's sublime and civilised values must be conveyed via an open dialogue with Western scientific institutions, with a goal towards reaching common ground, mutual understanding and creative cooperation." A new satellite TV channel devoted to conveying the true message of Islam in several languages should also be established, urged the report.
