Female preachers will be employed for next year's Haj awareness program, according to Hassan Al-Qurashi, Secretary General of the Secretariat General for Islamic Awareness in Haj. He said the request for female preachers was made by the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance. The Secretariat General had carried out a study on the matter and referred its findings to the minister. Al-Qurashi said there are now 873 male preachers employed for this year's Haj. He conceded that this was a small number compared to the millions of pilgrims. However, there are plans to employ more preachers as more awareness centers are set up at the holy sites. Al-Qurashi said the preachers assigned to enlighten pilgrims do not issue edicts, known as fatwas, because this is the function of the Ifta authorities led by the Grand Mufti. “We only answer questions from pilgrims on the basis of the edicts issued by the scholars and specifically on Haj and Umrah only. We steer away from controversial matters. We abide by rulings on which there is general agreement,” he said. He said preachers are selected for the Haj awareness program by a committee consisting of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a), Islamic University, Umm Al-Qura University, Al-Imam University and the Secretariat General. He said the function of the commission is to select preachers and then continuously monitor and evaluate them. The commission is keen to have qualified and efficient preachers. Age is not a factor unless it hinders their work. The commission refers all confidential reports on every preacher to officials in charge. Al-Qurashi said their preachers cover all the camps of domestic pilgrims. He said the Secretariat General submits all the names of its preachers and leaves it up to the domestic pilgrims' establishments to choose the person they want. As for pilgrims from abroad, there is coordination with the Ministry of Haj to either offer them services at their residences in Makkah or the holy sites. He added that the ministry's preachers are instructed not to interfere in differences between sects. He stressed that they do not enter pilgrims' residences unless asked to do so. “There are many pilgrims who come with their own preachers. We respect all the preachers of the Muslim world,” he added __
