CAIRO — Egypt’s Minister of Awqaf Mohamed Mokhtar Jumaa announced June 24 a reward of 60,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,355) for those who pass the foreign-language program exam organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf. This comes in the framework of the ministry’s efforts to expand French and English teaching programs targeting mosque preachers.

Also, on June 21, the Ministry of Awqaf gave renewed support to Ismail al-Rawi as director of the Awqaf Department of the South Sinai governorate given his great efforts in spreading the moderate religious discourse adopted by the Ministry of Awqaf and Al-Azhar in Egypt.

Under the ministry’s language program, imams and preachers attend as many sessions as their assessment exam results require. These sessions range between two weeks and a year depending on the preachers’ level. And the courses are given by language and translation professors from Al-Azhar University. Once the sessions are over, the ministry selects those with the highest grades and sends them to deliver sermons in French and English in tourist areas such as South Sinai governorate, where the city of Sharm el-Sheikh is located, and the Red Sea governorate, where the city of Hurghada is located.

The Ministry of Awqaf said June 9 that 22 imams had been selected to deliver sermons in English and French in cities and governorates that have major tourism.