The activities of the training course in psychological counseling and sociology for imams of endowments were launched at the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Gumaa, Minister of Endowments, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Matiny, President of Ain Shams University, and Prof. Dr. Hesham Tamraz, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mustafa Murtaza, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Prof. Dr. Rasha Al-Didi, Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development.

The course lasts for 3 days, 16 hours, until next Thursday, and the training is carried out by a team of specialists from the Department of Psychology and Sociology at the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, and it targets (50) imams of the Ministry of Endowments.

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Mortada, Dean of the Faculty and the Supervisor of the Department of Sociology, said in his speech in the lecture he gave as part of the course program entitled: “Skills of developing loyalty and belonging among members of society” that the imam and preacher should arm themselves with the weapon of knowledge and methodology in ideas.

He emphasized that the scientific method of thinking depends on understanding, interpretation, prediction and then control, and that the scientific method for all sciences is fixed, while each science has its tools that distinguish it. Therefore, the imam, preacher or preacher must change his style according to the audience addressed and according to his characteristics and characteristics according to each category of society.

He said that what is missing is careful reflection, so we must focus on a complete understanding before preservation and indoctrination. He also pointed out the importance of examining the heritage, re-reading it and linking it to contemporary after re-reading it as well.

Prof. Dr. Rasha Al-Didi, Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development and the supervisor of the Department of Psychology, emphasized in her speech during the opening of the course the importance of this training course in increasing the education of the Imams of the Ministry of Endowments in all sciences and cultures, especially in the fields of psychological counseling and sociology, so that imams are familiar with the nature of the audience to whom they are addressing And his psychological components to enable him to deliver his message appropriately to this audience, hence the role of the Faculty of Arts at Ain Shams University represented by the community service and environment development sector in joining with all state institutions to achieve the desired goals.

She also added that the faculty is getting more blessing and sparkling with the presence of the imams, and she welcomed Dr. Mahmoud El-Fakharani, Assistant Minister of Endowments, and the joint cooperation efforts. Society and environmental development and from the Faculty administration, headed by Prof. Mustafa Mortada, Dean of the Faculty, in facilitating all procedures for the success of this training course.

Dr. Mahmoud El-Fakharani, Assistant Minister of Endowments, confirmed that this training course comes within the framework of the ministry's efforts to prepare well and continuously train imams in the ministry in all fields, and within the framework of joint cooperation through the protocol signed between the Ministry of Endowments and Ain Shams University, and in belief in the importance of training in raising the level of imams and preachers too.

He also praised the warm reception and hospitality on the part of Faculty officials, as well as the keenness to implement precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus.

He praised the training course program, which includes various lectures on psychological counseling and on sociology that will have a great impact on providing imams with experience in raising the art of dialogue and identifying the different patterns of behavior so that the imam can direct the appropriate discourse for each class of audience in a manner that is appropriate for each age and every age and place, he urged the attendees to translate these useful sciences into good behavior and decent morals in calling.

The activities of the first day also included a lecture entitled: “Methods of Dealing with Rumors” given by Prof. Ahmed Khairy, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty. On top of the issue in dealing with its spread, he pointed out how to avoid the spread of rumors, which is achieved by providing serious, correct and transparent information and not leaving the opportunity for the ignorant to face the scarcity of information by spreading false news and ideas.

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Khairy also pointed out that most of the rumors are issued about artists, senior scholars, officials and the elite because of their importance to society, as the importance of a person or event is what creates interest in speaking about it.

He also touched upon the ability to suggest the human soul, so awareness of this point must be made by the imams so that the thought leader can positively influence the forum and refute any negative trend he has.