Cairo: Saudi Arabia plans to replace foreign muezzins and imams in charge of prayer sites in commercial centres with Saudis, a local newspaper reported Sunday.
The plan is being drawn up jointly by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Municipal and Village affairs, Okaz reported, citing unidentified sources.
The move comes after it was noticed that non-Saudi people recite the call to prayer and lead worshippers in many prayer places in shopping centres, the sources added.
“These complexes are important being destinations for tourists and other people,” a source added.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has asked the Ministry of Municipal and Village Affairs to direct supervisors of major commercial centres to appoint Saudi muezzins and imams in coordination with religious authorities, the sources said.
Migrant workers at those centres often make the daily calls to prayer. There is no official monitoring over those prayer sites. Copies of the Holy Quran there could be distorted, while religious books available to worshippers include pamphlets of unknown origin, according to the report.
Foreigners make up about 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s total population of 34.8 million.
