Professional competencies of the imam and preacher of the mosque and methods of developing religious education in Iraq

Abstract

The imam and preacher of the mosque plays a great educational and social role that requires his possession of professional competencies that qualify him to communicate with listeners of different ages, cultures, functional and scientific levels, and this task is more difficult than the task of the teacher who deals with a group of students of similar ages and cultures with a predetermined approach, and religious education that produces imams and preachers . Either high school or university students often attract the weakest students at the scientific level, and it is intended for him to succeed in his educational and social mission, and accordingly the current research aims to determine the professional competencies of the imam and preacher of the mosque, as the researcher did not find a previous study in this field, and to suggest methods for the development of education In Iraq, in order to draw an educational implementation plan, and use the descriptive and analytical approach, and to achieve these two goals, two research tools were built, each of which (40) paragraphs divided the first into three areas and the second into seven, presented to a sample of (30) experts in religious education. And the university, and the results of the competencies showed: The progress of the mastery sections in the field of specialization, and the sincere desire for reform, and the paragraphs won: The polarization of outstanding students, adding scientific subjects and the English language to the curricula, paying attention to public speaking skills, defining a value system and its application, the highest percentages in methods of developing religious education, and the researcher recommended studying the difficulties facing the Imam and the preacher in his work, and developing a practical vision to confront destructive cultures and ideas.