The conservative government in Greece announced Thursday its decision to give a salary to 240 imams who serve the Muslim minority in Thrace, in the north-east of Greece, in a gesture of goodwill towards this population, which will also serve to better regulate the sermons. At present, only Orthodox priests are salaried by the Greek state. A commission made up of three government representatives, two university scholars of Islam, and two muftis from Thrace, also nominated by the state, will choose the imams to be salaried. “In principle, the reform is positive, but it’s important that there is not too much interventionism”, said the Muslim deputy Ilhan Ahmet, member of the conservative majority party.
