Ammon News - By Banan Malkawi

AMMONNEWS – Hisham Awartani - The Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) and Islamic Affairs issued a circular on Tuesday to all mosque preachers and imams throughout the kingdom warning against the misuse of Mosques for election campaigning.

The circular also called on mosque imams to urge citizens to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, set to be held on November 9th.

The Ministry's deputy Secretary General Abdul Rahman Abdah said in statements to 'Ammon News' that the circular comes in line with a strategic plan being prepared by the ministry aimed at "neutralizing" mosques so that they do not "influence the electoral process."

The circular however includes recommendations on the "reward" for those who do participate by casting their votes.

"The ministry will not allow mosques to be used for any election campaign purposes since the Law of Preaching does prohibits that."

Abdah stressed, however, that the Ministry of Awqaf considers the "urging of citizens not to participate in the parliamentary elections a 'major sin' (Kaba'er)."

Later on Wednesday, The Ministry's deputy Secretary General Abdul Rahman Abdah clarified in a statement to 'Ammon News' that he misused the term 'major sin' to indicate "Kaba'er" but meant to say that "any government employee who urges citizens not to participate in the parliamentary elections would be committing 'a major administrative violation.'