A deputy calls on President Tebboune to integrate those in charge of the Imamate – the Algerian dialogue

Parliamentarian, Abdel Karim Ben Khallaf, wrote to the President of the Republic, Abdel Majeed Tebboune, demanding that the category of those in charge of the imama be included in work positions without restricting them to conditions and improving their wages, which currently do not exceed 16 thousand dinars.

Representative Ben Khallaf stated that “the category of those in charge of the imamate is one of the groups whose rights have been violated in several important points, especially those related to the low wages that they receive, which are estimated at 16,000 DZD, which is equivalent and close to the unemployment grant after the expected increase,” considering that this is “injustice” and “unjust” in the matter. That their wages be equal to those of the unemployed, and they are the ones who lead the prayers and the affairs of the mosque, and among them are those who memorize the Qur’an and watch over the spread of the rituals of Islam.

The correspondent referred to another aspect related to the temporary contract, which could stop at any moment after decades of work. The source expressed his astonishment at the issuance of an instruction from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments that requires licensing the use of vacant financial positions to open and organize external recruitment competitions once a year to join positions in the sector with conditions that reduced the chances of integrating the category of those in charge of the imamate after years of patience of waiting.

Ben Khallaf, the President of the Republic, called for fairness to those in charge of the imamate – 1,300 leaders in the imamate – by integrating them and confirming them in permanent job positions so that they can devote themselves to spreading their noble, educational and religious message, indicating that this group has been entrusted with a noble mission and has a great status and role in supporting and spreading the Islamic religion. And striving to gather the word and maintain security and stability, and today they suffer from many problems, and difficult living conditions, that prevent them from achieving the lofty and noble goals for which they were hired, including the temporary work position and the contract may stop at any moment, in addition to the “grant that does not get fat.” It does not satisfy hunger and does not fill the simplest necessities of life, and its value does not exceed: 16,000,00 DZD, which is paid to them every (06) six months, and sometimes (12) months,” which sometimes prompts them to seek aid from the worshipers – according to him – while An instruction was issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments under No. 1268/2022 dated November 17, 2022, according to which it is required to authorize the exploitation of vacant and liberated financial positions to open and organize external recruitment competitions once a year and over a period of several years, allocated exclusively for the benefit of those in charge of the imama who are in activity, and this is to a limited extent. On 09/22/2022, recruitment competitions were opened a few days ago on the basis of the certificate to join the position of a main professor, a professor imam, an imam teacher and a professor of Quranic education, with the fulfillment of the conditions for participation in the competition, which reduced the opportunity for their integration and employment, as the number of open positions did not exceed one or two positions. Or three in most states of the country, and the number of open positions did not exceed 300 at the national level.