RIYADH — The Shoura Council will today discuss the parameters of selecting mosque imams who should be well-versed in Islamic tenets and Shariah and should not be less than 40 years of age. The Islamic and judicial affairs committee of the council has adopted proposals from several members to review the parameters of selecting imams of mosques set up by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance with a view to making them more strict. While discussing the ministry's annual report for the fiscal year 2014-15, the council is expected to ask the ministry to establish an independent investment body to be tied up to the Council of Economic Affairs and Development. The members are also expected to ask the ministry to include in its report a section about the condition of the endowments in Historic Jeddah and the criterion of renting them. The ministry will be asked to liaise with the educational, cultural, youth and media organizations to formulate a national strategy for intellectual security with curative and preventive dimensions to safeguard the youth from falling prey to the propagators of devious thought. The members have asked for this strategy after noticing that the role of the family in protecting its children from the devious ideologies is not enough. The ministry will also be asked to introduce an electronic system for counting the exact number of mosques in the Kingdom, their staff and need for maintenance and repair. On the other hand, while discussing its annual report the council is expected to ask the Commerce Ministry to provide more job opportunities to women. The members are also expected to ask the ministry to correct the drop in the number of active factories after noting that out of 8,690 industrial licenses granted during the Ninth Five-Year-Development Plan, only 373 factories, representing five percent, were built and are operational.
