The recent GCC summit concluded under very complex conditions with anticipation of many challenges, including economic setbacks because of falling oil prices, while the Gulf nations are competing in developing their respective states with much diligence, each according to their strategic plans.
There is no doubt that there will be many efforts in reordering priorities. The issue of rationalisation and guidance is an important national issue that doesn’t belong to only governments, but to also individuals who are responsible for performing their jobs without defecting or jeopardising their commitment to quality, even if there are budget cuts. There is also no need of informing the government officially its dedication to cut or reduce budget.
This is what I call true patriotism... to work for the benefit of the nation and automatically predict events and emerging situations, whether in the public or private sector and put the national interest first and foremost.
You might be wondering what does the title of my article has to do with all this. It indirectly does because we can benefit from our well-learned Imams who hold bachelor’s, master’s and even doctorate degrees in many fields including Islamic studies. Some even hold several degrees because Islam is a way of life which encompasses both religious and non-religious aspects.
I am mainly addressing here my distinguished brothers at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, who are responsible for recruiting Imams for our mosques and are also in charge of regulating
their duties.
I consider the job of Imam a stagnant force since, as we all know that the time spent in leading the five daily prayers is limited, so why not use such human resource in other work areas instead of flooding our markets with foreign workers. Especially that many Imams are university graduates and their skills could be utilised in several government and non-government sectors, each according to his expertise.
Even allowing them to work with other institutions will help them improve their livelihoods especially that their wages are considerably low, amid the continuous rise in prices that our country is experiencing.
This efficient utilisation of resources should save lots of money in terms of salaries, services, housing and so on.
For example, it is also possible to take advantage of the Imams to work as teachers in Independent Schools in the morning. This will not hurt their roles in mosques, even if they work in the
private sector.
We recognise that the aspirations of the state are many, and any project under implementation is compelled to bring staff from abroad since local citizens are never enough. This means more commitment from the state and more approved budgets.
In general, an Imam’s talk is logical, honest and well-measured. So why not take advantage of them in other jobs since they are a reliable workforce morally, methodically and practically?
Why can’t we also think with compassion, logic and patriotism?
