CAIRO — In a press statement Aug. 16, the head of an international organization concerned with the quality of Islamic preaching proposed the idea of “mosque cinemas,” as they are known in the media. It seems that Othman Abdel Rahim did not expect his initiative to receive as much criticism as it has.

Rahim is secretary-general of the Global Association for Ensuring Quality and Assessing Performance of Islamic Preaching, or ITQAN, which is involved with the evaluation and development of religious discourse through the training of Islamic preachers and imams. Its headquarters is in Brussels, with branches in many countries, including Egypt. It is funded by the endowments ministries of several countries as well as the donations of Islamic associations.

Abdel Rahim demanded that the role of the mosque not be limited to worship and for mosques to become “cultural enlightenment centers” and pursue development projects. He added, “Inside the mosque, there should be a Sharia-compliant theater and cinema hall, in addition to development projects. The mosque values should be transmitted to the people through development tracks that use words, images and poetry within Sharia limitations.”

Abdel Rahim noted in the same statement that the theaters should not be inside the mosques but annexed to them, and that their role be limited to displaying social awareness and educational material.