Within the framework of the Government's general policy and action plan, the minister of religious affairs and endowments proposes and develops elements of national policy in the field of religious affairs and endowments and ensures their implementation, monitoring, and oversight, in accordance with legislation and regulations in force. The minister reports on the results of their activities to the Prime Minister or the Head of Government, as the case, to the council of Government, and to the council of Ministers, following the established forms, modalities and deadlines.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments, in connection with relevant ministerial departments, institutions, and bodies, and within the limits of their respective prerogatives, exercises his responsibilities in the field of religious affairs and endowments.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is in charge of overseeing and promoting activities related to the management of religious affairs and endowments, according to the national religious referent. In this capacity, he is in charge of:
- proposing public policies and national strategies regarding religious affairs and endowments and supervising their implementation;
- exercising the responsibilities of public authority within his field of competence, in accordance with legislation and regulations in force;
- ensuring the application of applicable legislation and regulations in force within his field of competence;
- proposing and implementing mechanisms aimed at defining and disseminating the precepts, principles, and values of Islam;
- contributing in the promotion and rationalization of the will to be benevolence in society;
- initiating any measure that contributes to the revival and promotion of religious cultural heritage and the flourishing of Islamic civilization.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of religious guidance and the administration of mosques, especially:
- consolidating the mosque's role in society and making it a center of spiritual, religious, cultural, and civilizational influence;
- promoting religious discourse and mosque activities in order to serve the religious and national union of algerian society;
- organizing and modernizing the activity of Fatwa;
- ensuring the strengthening of relations between the mosque and societal institutions and leveraging its role in the field of social compassion and solidarity;
- ensuring the improvement of the human resources management of mosques throughout the Republic;
- taking care to respect to the established typology for mosque construction;
- establishing the national map of mosques, in coordination with the concerned sectors;
- organizing the procedures for proof of faith and conversion to Islam, in coordination with the relevant ministerial departments.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of Quranic education, especially:
- organizing Quranic education and developing related curricula and teaching methods;
- encouraging Quranic schools and zaouia to serve the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Prophet;
- organizing national and international Quranic events;
- giving importance to the construction of Quranic schools and ensuring the professional development of their teachers.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of endowments, especially:
- censusing and updating the mechanisms for the management and administration of endowment goods;
- modernizing the management and administration of endowment goods and working towards their digitization, including establishing their own computer systems;
- developing, maintaining, protecting, and preserving endowment goods, by ensuring their contribution to economic and social development;
- encouraging the endowment movement.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of religious rites, especially:
- Establishing the official calendar of legal hours and celebrating religious holidays and ceremonies;
- Giving importance to the Zakat rite, overseeing its organization, and promoting its collection and expenditure, according to the procedures duly defined by Charia, in accordance with legislation and regulation in force;
- Promoting the organization and supervision of Hadj and Omra, and ensuring the best possible conditions for their performance in the Holy Sites of Islam;
- Authorizing and monitoring the organization of Hadj and Omra, in connection with the relevant ministerial departments.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of islamic culture, information, and communication, especially:
- establishing the values and precepts of Islam and Islamic culture within society and preserving religious cultural heritage and manuscripts;
- editing, printing, and distributing the Holy Quran in all formats;
- promoting the organization of cultural, religious, and scientific events, including national and international seminars, study days, sessions, competitions, and exhibitions;
- developing an institutional communication strategy and participating in the regulation of the religious information system;
- observing and following media coverage related to religious affairs;
- encouraging the publication of journals and books related to his field of expertise;
- organizing cultural competitions for the revival of Islamic heritage;
- allowing editing, printing, importation and distribution of the Holy Quran, as well as the importation of religious books and works on all media, after audit and verification.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of training, professional development, and supervision, specifically:
- developing the sectoral training system;
- developing the skilled human resources necessary to achieve the sector's objectives;
- modernizing the working mechanisms of sectoral training institutions.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of regulations, specifically:
- preparing legislative and regulation texts project of the sector;
- participating in the study and giving opinion on legislative and regulatory texts project initiated by other sectors;
- participating in the establishment of statutory rules applicable to sector personnel.
the minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in terms of international cooperation, in coordination with the relevant sectors and competent authorities, specifically:
- ensuring the development and implementation the project of international agreements and conventions related to his field of competence;
- implementing any measure aimed at strengthening national representation abroad, within its field of competence;
- participating in the work of regional or international institutions and organizations within its field of competence;
- carrying out any other missions assigned to it, related to bilateral and multilateral international relations.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments works to:
- install and update computer systems and to modernize the religious affairs and endowments sector;
- establish best practices within the administration;
- conduct research and carry out prospective studies to achieve these goals;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in coordination with the relevant sectors, for promoting religious guidance for the national community established abroad, and for contributing to highlighting an authentic Islam based on the values of moderation and balance;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments is responsible, in cooperation and coordination with the relevant sectors and bodies, for organizing the practice of non-Muslim religions, within the tolerance and respect for others, in accordance with legislation and regulation in force;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments participates, in relation to the relevant sectors, in scientific research and technological development activities, and encourages all scientific innovation related to his field of competence.
The minister of religious affairs and endowments contributes, within the limit of his responsibilities and in coordination with the relevant sectors, institutions, and bodies, in particular to:
- prepare future generations and helping them shape their character based on the principles and values of authentic Islam;
- promote activities and ensuring the protection of children within the Islamic education and culture;
- resolve disputes, protecting the family, and promote the role of women in society;
- establish mechanisms to support the elderly, vulnerable social groups, and people with disabilities;
- lead health, prevention, and solidarity campaigns;
- support startups and new projects;
- guide and assist detainees in prisons and rehabilitation facilities;
- strength the position of authentic religious practices and the role of zawiyas, in order to support the principles of religious diplomacy and religious cultural exchange;
- promote religious tourism;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments encourages the development of partnerships with civil society within the implementing the sector's policy.
In order to fulfill its missions and achieve its objectives, the minister of religious affairs and endowments proposes, in particular:
- the organization of the central administration under its supervision and ensures its proper functioning;
- the assessment of needs related to human, financial, and material resources and taking all necessary measures necessary to cover them;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments initiates, within the religious affairs and endowments sector, the creation of any consultation forum, mechanism, or other body that will enable better fulfillment of the missions entrusted to him;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments initiates, within its field of competence, the organization of a national conference and regional conferences for consultation, coordination, and guidance.
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments initiates the implementation of a system for evaluating and monitoring activities related to his field of responsibility;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments exercises his authority over the bodies, central structures, external services, and public institutions under his supervision and ensures their proper functioning;
- The minister of religious affairs and endowments proposes the establishment of a framework for cooperation, partnership, and common coordination between his ministry and other sectors, with a view to ensuring better fulfillment of the missions entrusted to him.
Executive Decree No. 21-360 of 14 Safar 1443, corresponding to September 21, 2021, setting out the responsibilities of the minister of religious affairs and endowments
Official Journal of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria No. 73, published in 2021)