Jordan Adopting Measures to Limit Quranic Society
People working inside the Society believe that the government is after restricting their activities despite the fact that the Society has never intervened in political affairs since its establishment in 1991 and has just focused on teaching Quran to people, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported.
In an unexpected move, Jordan’s Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs recently announced that those who teach Quran in the Society should meet some criteria, including having at least an MA, in addition to obtaining required certificate from the Ministry.
Among the other controversial decisions is that people who wish to donate to the Society need to be Jordanian citizens and tell the government about why they are donating; this will naturally reject donors.
The measures, the report continues, are apparently aimed at organizing the Society but in practice, they are restricting the activities of the Quranic society.
For instance, the requirement for an MA comes as thousands of Quran teachers at schools across the country are active without having such a degree.
The Holy Quran Preservation Society (also known as Hoffaz) is the biggest society of its kind in the Arab world and is Jordan’s biggest religious society.
It is comprised of 42 main branches and more than 1,000 centers for memorizing the Holy Quran work under its umbrella. During three decades of activity, the Society has managed to train thousands of people – either young or old – with Quranic teachings.
Current restrictions may lead to putting aside experienced teachers, notes the report, adding that some of the training courses have already been canceled due to the new conditions.
