There is more to teaching than just being popular

who is supposed to set an example of modesty.

Old-fashioned and unlikeable older preachers have driven many young people to simply set themselves up as “preachers,” reaching out to their peers. Supported by our phony system for authorizing preachers, they have managed to become quite popular. Furthermore, the Egyptian state implicitly welcomes the emergence of these young preachers, who are perceived as a tool to frame society – disregarding the fact that we are thus distancing our young people from truly understanding the good values of Islam.

“I have my own followers,” is a claim made by numerous Egyptian preachers who believe that their popularity, and the support of many ignorant followers, legitimizes their preaching and allows them to speak about everything in our society, not just religion. Sadly, these preachers strive only to promote themselves, eventually becoming engaged in many commercialized events that attract the wealthy.

Egypt’s youngsters are our future. They have been given better education, often come up with good ideas, and are energetic about implementing them. The Egyptian government should work to enable them to occupy leading positions in diverse fields – except for the field of religious preaching, where seniority and wisdom matter immensely. Leadership often comes with specific qualifications and merits that youngsters should work to realize – not achieve simply by being popular.

The damage that many young preachers are causing to society is irreversible. Popularity should not legitimize preaching (or the assumption of leading roles in any field that requires explicit qualifications). Preaching, even to acquaintances, should be regulated either by the government or by Al-Azhar. Egyptians who want to capitalize on their popularity should consider exploring other fields besides religion. We are dealing with many challenges; we must not add new ones by allowing these sham preachers to harm our society.

QMohammed Nosseir, a liberal politician from Egypt, is a strong advocate of political participation and economic freedom.