President
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the importance of education, mosques, churches
and the media in addressing societal challenges and highlighted the necessity
of remaining grounded in reality.
He made the remarks
during an interactive dialogue with scholars and the judging panel for an
academic program hosted by the Egyptian Military Academy, the Presidency said
in a statement. The dialogue took place at the academy’s headquarters in the
New Capital.
President El-Sisi
attended the personal assessment interviews for Ministry of Endowments’
preachers holding doctoral degrees, who are set to join the two-year scientific
program.
The meeting featured
the attendance of Minister of Religious Endowments Usama Al-Azhari, Director of
the Egyptian Military Academy Lieutenant General Ashraf Zaher, and members of
the judging panel from the ministry and the Council of Senior Scholars.
The dialogue further
addressed the role of Al-Azhar and its institutes in spreading authentic
Islamic teachings and Quran memorization, the statement read.
Meanwhile, the
meeting highlighted the importance of updating Al-Azhar curricula to include
subjects related to national security and the Egyptian vision of current
events.
The discussion
touched on the need to confront extremism and atheism through objective
arguments, highlighting the role of programs and courses offered by Al-Azhar
and the Egyptian Military Academy in this regard.
The dialogue
reaffirmed the need for developing scientific research and linking it to
production.
It also emphasized
promoting enlightened moderate thinking and reinforcing educational values,
according to the statement.
The meeting urged giving due importance to the
Arabic language as a fundamental tool for understanding religion, accurately
interpreting the Quran, and accessing sciences and knowledge.
The president also stressed the
necessity of establishing a clear pathway for qualifying, training, and utilizing
cadres effectively.
The president
highlighted the importance of the academy’s academic and training programs for
Awqaf preachers, imams and other state cadres as part of broader efforts to
reform institutions and build strong, qualified, and distinguished personnel
across sectors.
The president also
stressed that candidates selected for the academy’s programs are chosen based
on absolute and objective criteria, with evaluations conducted fairly and
without favoritism.
The discussion also
noted that the academy’s programs are part of a path that requires continuity
and follow-up, the statement said, noting that these courses are subject to
continuous development and evaluation.
The Presidency
highlighted these programs’ constructive role in graduating qualified cadres
who serve as a driving force in advancing the state development and building
its capacities.
Source: Egypt Today