Egypt's Endowments Minister Opens Training Courses on Moderate Thought for Imams

Egypt's Minister of Endowments Osama Al-Azhari has launched two imam-training courses in Giza focused on moderate religious thought and preaching skills.

• Al-Azhari opened the "Principles of Moderate Thought" and "Improving Linguistic Performance" courses at Salama Al-Shaer Mosque in Kerdasa after dawn prayers Monday.
• The minister said the program targets training 1,000 imams in its first month across 100 training hours, held near the imams' workplaces.
• Al-Azhari said the courses aim to counter extremism and distorted readings of religious texts and to sharpen imams' delivery and language abilities.
• The minister announced exams at the courses' end, with cash prizes for the top three participants.
• Al-Azhari said top-performing imams will receive financial prizes of up to 30,000 Egyptian pounds for their course results.