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Job Advertisement by Government Institution Sparks Controversy Over Quran Memorization Requirement
A job advertisement issued by the "Syrian Holding Company for Defense Industries", formerly known as the "Scientific Studies and Research Center", has sparked widespread controversy after including religious requirements alongside the usual professional qualifications.
According to the circulating advertisement, applicants are asked, in addition to providing their personal information and professional experience, to specify which parts of the Quran they have memorized, name the religious scholars whose lessons they regularly attend, and identify the mosque they visit or are affiliated with.
These requirements raise questions about the criteria used to select employees for institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Defense. They also prompt debate over whether professional competence and experience remain the primary basis for recruitment, or whether religious affiliation and adherence to specific orientations have become decisive factors in accepting applicants.
Critics argue that adopting such criteria could lead to the exclusion of broad segments of Syrian society, particularly members of non-Muslim religious communities, as well as nonreligious Muslims or those who are not affiliated with specific religious authorities. They also warn that turning religious beliefs and practices into employment conditions for a military or defense institution could reinforce the perception that there is an effort to establish an institution with an ideological or sectarian character.
On the other hand, those responsible for the advertisement may defend these requirements as being connected to the religious or cultural identity of the new phase. However, the absence of official clarification regarding the legal basis for these conditions leaves the door open to further questions and criticism.
The advertisement has brought renewed attention to the debate over the future shape of Syria’s military and security institutions, and whether they will be built on the principles of citizenship, competence, and equal opportunity—or according to religious and social criteria that could exclude segments of Syrians before their qualifications and abilities are even considered.
