Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, Mohammad Khalayleh, on Monday received Malaysia’s Ambassador to Jordan Mohamad Nasri Abdul Rahman. Khalayleh presented the ministry’s role to care for the Kingdom’s mosques, which reach about 7,000 and preaching affairs, referring to the experience of female preachers who provided social and religious services to families across the Kingdom. Khalayleh also spoke about Jordanian Hajj Fund, which today constitutes a “mature” Islamic banking experience, as the number of its savers exceeded 40,000, while the volume of its deposits are about JD300 million, adding 20% of the Kingdom’s Hajj quota goes for its savers within instructions in force. With regard to Jordan-run Jerusalem Endowments Department, Khalayleh said its allocations are about JD15 million disbursed from the ministry’s budget, in addition to His Majesty King Abdullah II’s support for Al-Aqsa Mosque’s reconstruction and maintenance works. Jordan, through the Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, adheres to its role in providing services for the entire Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has a 144- dunum area, he said. He also affirmed Jordan’s rejection to carry out Al-Aqsa Mosque’s temporal or spatial division, which Israeli occupation authorities seeks to impose. Noting Israel-imposed challenges and obstacles, he said its measures obstructed some reconstruction operations in Al-Aqsa Mosque area. For his part, the envoy lauded the ministry’s experience as ” distinguished and commendable,” noting that Jordan and Malaysia have “deep-rooted, historic” relations. He added that Jordanian universities have graduated many Malaysian students, who have joined Sharia specialties, adding that 1,500 students have so far enrolled in Jordanian universities.
Source: Jordan News Agency