Should Pakistan copy the Turkish state system for religious affairs?

[KediKesenFare3]

In Turkey, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Turkish: Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı also Religious Affairs Directorate, and normally referred to simply as the Diyanet) is an official state institution established in 1924 in article 136 of the Constitution of Turkey by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey as a successor to the Sheikh ul-Islam after the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate.[1]​

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Religious_Affairs

Every mosque, every Imam, every muezzin in Turkey is under the supervision of the Turkish authorities. According to Turkish law, Imams are considered as civil servants trained by the state. Without a state license, it is illegal to preach a sermon in the mosque. Right now the Diyanet controls aprox. 87000 mosques (85k in Turkey, 2k abroad). Every Friday sermon across Turkey is delivered by Diyanet. So, you and your friends are going to listen to the same sermon even if you don't live in the same state/province/city. And of course, every religious school/madrasa is controlled by Diyanet as well in Turkey.

Webpage of the Presidency of Religious Affairs: http://diyanet.gov.tr/en/home


Presidency of Religious Affairs
Basic Principles and Objectives

To carry out work on Islamic belief, worship and ethics, enlighten society on religion and administer places of worship (Article 1, Law No.633) in line with the principle of secularism, by staying out of all political views and thinking and aspiring to national solidarity and integration (Article 136 in the Constitution).

-To take substantial information based on the Quran and Sunnah, that are two fundamental sources of religion as a basis while enlightening society on religion,

-To take into consideration Muslims’14 centuries long religious experience and value modern life and common heritage of mankind.

-To offer services according to the principles of citizenship without distinction of sect, understanding and practice regarding religion.

-To continuously produce knowledge, share this knowledge with society and make timely statements on current issues.

-To accept that standing by people who need care and support like the disabled, homeless, elderly, poor and prisoners is an inseparable part of religious service.

-To have religious officials who have assimilated Islamic faith and its practical principles, have a high educational and cultural level, are at peace with themselves and society, play a pioneering role in human relations, understand their counterparts and can produce practical solutions to religious issues, can use religion and scientific date together and live an exemplary life with their words and behavior.

-To contribute to Turks living abroad not to lose their self-identity and be in harmony with the society they are living in without being assimilated.

-To introduce Turkey’s experience and heritage in the field of religion abroad, enable Islam to be correctly understood, closely follow discussions about religious understanding and practices in both EU member states and Turkey and give accurate information to the public opinion in the West on this matter.

http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/en/category/basic-principles-and-objectives/23

This system proved to be extremely successful to counter religious radicalism.To tell you the truth, reality is a bit more complex. Diyanet was and still is a heritage of the Kemalist revolution under M.K. Atatürk.

Maybe this system isn't fitting exactly to Pakistani needs but I'm sure that Pakistan needs urgently more centralization and more regulation in religious affairs.
(Sorry for my bad English.)

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Tunisia is doing the same:

Tunisia to enforce state control over all mosques

March 24, 2016 at 11:08 am | Published in: Africa, News, Tunisia


March 24, 2016 at 11:08 am
Spokesperson for the Tunisian government Khalid Shawkat said on Wednesday that all mosques in the country will be controlled through law enforcement.

Shawkat said in a statement following a ministerial meeting that Prime Minister Habib Essid is keen to enforce law and re-establish state authority over all mosques across the country.

“In case of failure to respond, the state will not hesitate to use all legal means available and guaranteed by the constitution and laws,” he added.

The Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for supervising religious guidance and selects the imams for mosques.

An official at the General Union for Religious Affairs Abdul Salam Atawi raised concerns over the many imams and preachers working without a formal mandate from the authorities during a press conference on Tuesday, which he believes is over 50 percent in many provinces.

According to the Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs, some 50 to 60 mosques operate outside its control.

Tunisia has been heavily criticized for the absence of state control over the country’s mosques.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160324-tunisia-to-enforce-state-control-over-all-mosques/

 

[PaklovesTurkiye]

Tunisia is doing the same:

Tunisia to enforce state control over all mosques

March 24, 2016 at 11:08 am | Published in: Africa, News, Tunisia


March 24, 2016 at 11:08 am
Spokesperson for the Tunisian government Khalid Shawkat said on Wednesday that all mosques in the country will be controlled through law enforcement.

Shawkat said in a statement following a ministerial meeting that Prime Minister Habib Essid is keen to enforce law and re-establish state authority over all mosques across the country.

“In case of failure to respond, the state will not hesitate to use all legal means available and guaranteed by the constitution and laws,” he added.

The Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for supervising religious guidance and selects the imams for mosques.

An official at the General Union for Religious Affairs Abdul Salam Atawi raised concerns over the many imams and preachers working without a formal mandate from the authorities during a press conference on Tuesday, which he believes is over 50 percent in many provinces.

According to the Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs, some 50 to 60 mosques operate outside its control.

Tunisia has been heavily criticized for the absence of state control over the country’s mosques.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160324-tunisia-to-enforce-state-control-over-all-mosques/

I agree with Turkey and Tunisia...To stop brainwashing of our young lads, we need to do it asap...

 

[unleashed]

Q Molviyoon ka karobar kharab krva rhe ho bhai..

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Q Molviyoon ka karobar kharab krva rhe ho bhai..

?

 

[KediKesenFare3]

@Kaptaan @That Guy @waz @Oscar @Khanate

What do you guys think about this topic? Can you explain me the current system in Pakistan? Who is controlling the mosques? Who is paying the Imam?

 

[SQ8]

@Kaptaan @That Guy @waz @Oscar @Khanate

What do you guys think about this topic? Can you explain me the current system in Pakistan? Who is controlling the mosques? Who is paying the Imam?

A great idea and is a must for the current dangerous state of Pakistani society with extremists running amok and imposing their twisted and baseless ideals on the remaining innocent population.

 

[RAMPAGE]

A great idea and is a must for the current dangerous state of Pakistani society with extremists running amok and imposing their twisted and baseless ideals on the remaining innocent population.

Not really. Formulating Jummah sermons is not the government's job and nor should it be. You can regulate their content but that is as far as it should go.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Where is the difference between formulating the sermon and regulating the content of the sermon?

 

[SQ8]

Not really. Formulating Jummah sermons is not the government's job and nor should it be. You can regulate their content but that is as far as it should go.

So it can be "Dont kill Shia's or Dont bomb Sufi Shrines" but nothing on whether they preach against or harass them?

 

[RAMPAGE]

So it can be "Dont kill Shia's or Dont bomb Sufi Shrines" but nothing on whether they preach against or harass them?

Regulation can do both.

 

[SQ8]

Regulation can do both.

Not as effectively, Pakistan faces a much much worse situation in terms of religious discord and bigotry that perhaps not even Arab nations have faced; yet are we to act as if it does not exist. It is no different an attitude to the one we complain regarding the treatment of Muslims in neighbouring countries.

 

[RAMPAGE]

Not as effectively, Pakistan faces a much much worse situation in terms of religious discord and bigotry that perhaps not even Arab nations have faced; yet are we to act as if it does not exist. It is no different an attitude to the one we complain regarding the treatment of Muslims in neighbouring countries.

Start forcing clerics to deliver state issued sermons who're not on the payroll of Auqaf and they'll shout Suppression of Islam by the State, Al-Jihad Al-Jihad and Dar-ul-Kufar before you can say Mullah Burkah. You don't want them retelling the old tales of underground madressahs in Soviet and Jamal Abdul Nassir's purge, do you?

 

[SQ8]

Start forcing clerics to deliver state issued sermons who're not on the payroll of Auqaf and they'll shout Suppression of Islam by the State, Al-Jihad Al-Jihad and Dar-ul-Kufar before you can say Mullah Burkah. You don't want them retelling the old tales of underground madressahs in Soviet and Jamal Abdul Nassir's purge, do you?

You cannot force someone who is already brainwashed to the hilt to do anything. What is needed is a comprehensive replacement of them by people who hold regulated and thorough knowledge in the subjects these clerics claim to hold.

 

[RAMPAGE]

You cannot force someone who is already brainwashed to the hilt to do anything. What is needed is a comprehensive replacement of them by people who hold regulated and thorough knowledge in the subjects these clerics claim to hold.

There is a Deobandi Mosque a few streets from my house. It was built illegally, some twenty years ago, on CDA land near a dried out nallah and has a Khateeb with an army of Madressah students with ample support from the local community. How do you plan on removing him from the mosque and installing a government approved Mullah?