Inauguration of Jamaa al-Jazair: Centre for middle way, testifying to Algeria's leading civilizational role

ALGIERS- Jamaa al-Jazair, inaugurated Sunday by the president of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, is intended to be a centre for the path of the middle way testifying Algeria's leading civilizational role.

The inaugural ceremony of the religious, civilizational and scientific building took place in the presence of the rector of Jamaa al-Jazair, Sheikh Mohamed Maamoun Al Kacimi Al Hoceini, who welcomed the president of the Republic at the entrance to the mosque, and who was accompanied by the minister of Religious Affairs, Youcef Belmehdi, and the minister of Housing, Urbanism and the City, Mohamed Tarek Belaribi.

The ceremony was also attended by the speaker of the Council of the Nation (upper house of Parliament), Salah Goudjil, Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui, the chairman of the Constitutional Court, Omar Belhadj, the chief of staff of the People's National Army, General Saïd Chanegriha, the chief of staff to the presidency of the Republic, Boualem Boualem, in addition to members of the government, advisers to the president of the Republic, senior State officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Algiers, imams and sheikhs of Zawiyya.

The president of the Republic took a souvenir photo with‎ Ulama (scholars of Islamic Doctrine and Law), imams and sheikhs from the Muslim world invited by Algeria.

The president of the Republic subsequently attended, at the lounge of honour of the Jamaa al-Jazair, the screening of a documentary on the various facilities of this civilizational and religious building.

The President of the Republic visited, then, all the structures of the mosque, namely the Museum of the Islamic Civilization, the Cultural Centre with its lecture hall and its library as well as the Higher School for Islamic Sciences “Dar El-Coran” with its study halls and laboratories.

At the library, the President of the Republic stressed the necessity for Jamaa al-Jazair to contribute to the enshrinement of the values of moderation and the rejection of extremism and fanaticism.

He ordered the Library’s officials to adopt clear rules in the validation of the works that will be exhibited. The books “shouldn’t convey ideas contrary to our religion, our traditions and the moderation advocated by our ancestors and sheikhs,” he insisted.

President Tebboune called to provide the library with reference books in various scientific specialties, stressing the importance of training in Islamic finance, economy and law.

At the cultural center of Jamaa al-Jazair, the President of the Republic called on the officials of this structure to collaborate with the State’s different institutions to organize conferences and colloquiums.

At the end of his visit, the President of the Republic performed the Dhuhr prayer with the accompanying delegation, composed of senior State officials and members of the Government, as well as scholars, imams, sheikhs of zaouias and eminent intellectual and religious figures from the Muslim world.