Preachers Syndicate’s official blames government for extremism

Director General of Tunisian Preachers Syndicate Fadel Ashour said that over eight hundred mosques under the governmental authority suffer from lack of preachers, saying that a number of preachers took the religious platforms although they are not qualified for addressing the people.

He added that there are a number of mosques that were built individually, saying that such mosques do not subject to the government. He added that those people who build these mosques violate the Tunisian law, saying that there hundred mosques are possessed by the individuals.

He blamed the Religious Affairs Ministry for its inaction to build new mosques in the areas which witness expanding population, saying that this approach pushed the people to collect donations to build new mosques. He stressed that these mosques provide the opportunity to the extremists to promote their ideas among the people.

He added that the major challenge facing the Tunisian ministry is the preachers’ refusal to join the governmental mosques due to the chaos and increasing tensions dominating the ministry during the recent period. He stressed that the ministry failed to unify the religious speech in all Tunisian mosques, saying that the governmental failure is the main reason behind the spread of extremist ideas among Tunisians.

He stressed that the ministry does not control the mosques of the country, saying that the preparations and financial support for these mosques came from groups or assemblies. He said that the approach adopted by the ministry pushed to the formation of many jihadist cells and the recruitment of many Tunisian young people to ISIS and other extremist groups working outside the country.

He added that the preachers are not qualified to promote anti-extremist and modern ideas, stressing that the decision to close the governmental mosques in the non-prayers times pushed many Tunisians young people to turn to the Jihadist websites violating the moderate ideas adopted by the majority of Tunisian people.