‘It’s a recipe for disaster’

Other Voices

WBy Ahmad Al-Sarraf

oe to a nation whose public opinion and government are led and directed by clergymen who still embrace the centuries-old mentality. To add insult to injury some of them either hold fake certificates or certificates issued by universities which are lowranked. No one dare criticize them.

A nation cannot advance when its body is infested with hatred, racism, tribalism and sectarianism. There is no one around to keep in check these bad clerics who unashamedly and deliberately decorate themselves with titles of grace and virtue.

If we look around the world at almost all nations, we will clearly feel the declining role clerics as culture continues to flourish in every society in tandem with the economic progress and as a result many have distanced themselves from the profession of advocacy, many left the churches because there is no one to manage them and instead assigned their jobs to women.

Only in our countries we constantly strive to become clergymen not only because of the respect and veneration accompanying the job of preaching but also it brings influence and wealth.

If we review the practical biography or the financial situation of many preachers, we find many of them have accumulated for themselves great wealth, and the following matters are common among them:

One: Almost all of them seek the highest degrees from the world’s most modest universities.

Two: Almost all of them insist on wearing strange clothes and turbans to distinguish themselves from their opponents.

Three: Seeking third parties to promote their titles as thinkers, senior professors, and their determination to give themselves the title of eminence.

Al-Sarraf

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Four: Seeking to join an Islamic party – often the Muslim Brotherhood – to obtain protection and political coverage and access to senior government positions through them.

Five: Frequent appearances on television channels with the support of their religious parties.

Six: Participation in the establishment of religious satellite channels, or owning one.

Seven: Possession of companies working to promote their ideas and trade in religion.

Eight: Participating strongly in the religious associations and committees that are concerned with the problems of youth, which are supported by the government with large sums of money.

Nine: Strong participation in local, regional and international Islamic organizations such as the International Islamic Organization, the Islamic World League, and other arms of religious parties.

Ten: Strong participation in scientific miracle of the Quran programs and giving lectures to make money because this field is very profitable.

Eleven: Strongly striving to participate in a number of committees and advisory bodies of the government or affiliated to Islamic companies and financial institutions and getting paid for that.

Twelve: Participation in radio and television programs and writing in the media and receive payment, not to mention writing marriage contracts and other money-generating activities.

Thus, we see from all these and other matters that working in the field of advocacy and using religious titles is a rewarding business because they generate a lot of money and bring lot of respect from the title, often hollow but money is abundant.

We go back and repeat: “Woe to a nation whose public opinion and government are led and directed by clergymen who still embrace the centuriesold mentality. To add insult to injury some of them either hold fake certificates or certificates issued by universities which are low-ranked. No one dare criticize them.”

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