Fatwas to be brought under federal umbrella

Zoi Constantine and Tala al Ramahi

• Last Updated: April 06. 2009 8:30AM UAE / April 6. 2009 4:30AM GMT

ABU DHABI // The country’s principal religious body has drafted a law that aims to counter what some senior clerics are calling “fatwa chaos” with the religious edicts coming from unqualified sources.

Legislation proposed by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) and awaiting cabinet approval, would bring in a more “unified” approach across the emirates.

“Unifying fatwa as well as controlling its sources and providing well informed reference for it is the main goal of this project,” Dr Mohammed al Kaabi, the Awqaf director-general, said in a statement.

In the past there had been “fatwa chaos”, he said, in which unqualified sources had issued edicts in mosques, or even via satellite television channels and other media.

This had led to confusion on which religious rules actually applied, and in some cases had also seen the promulgation of more radical views that ran contrary to Sharia principles such as tolerance, he said.

“We have seen uncontrolled fatwas which do not represent the core of authentic Islam,” the statement added. “They are the result of a wrong and unrealistic recognition of the Umma [Muslim world] and its needs. The main goal is to get rid of the chaotic fatwa and organise all its types either in mosques, newspapers, magazines, audio-visual media or others.”

Among the proposals is the establishment of a high committee consisting of religious scholars drawn from all seven emirates, whose task will be to set federal fatwa policies.

According to the Awqaf, they will be highly qualified people, experienced in both Sharia and the main schools of Islamic jurisprudence, particularly the official Maliki school.

The high committee would also decide on a single, federal position on major religious issues.

The draft law is also intended to explain fatwa rules and regulate those qualified to issue the edicts.

While Dr al Kaabi could not give a precise time frame, he expected the new regulations to be introduced soon.

Last August, a major step towards standardising national fatwa procedures was taken with the launch of a dedicated fatwa centre. This is staffed by muftis who take calls from the public seeking clarification on religious topics.

Mohammed Jibreel, who lives in the capital, is among the hundreds who have used the service. The 36-year-old Palestinian said he thought a more unified approach would be useful, but that it would not be able to control edicts being issued from outside the country.

“Sometimes you’ll hear the most ridiculous fatwas being made, and they are circulated in the media but people don’t realise that the people who issued them are not really authorised to do so.”

Such edicts damaged the sanctity of Islam, he said.

Maisa Labeeb, 27, from Sudan, said she was glad that moves were being made to “protect” her religion.

“I remember when I heard about the fatwa where women were barred from using the internet without a ‘muhram’ [male relative] because it might be easier for her to commit a sin if there was no one surfing the internet with us,” she said.

“And I was thinking to myself, ‘How did this scholar even think of this idea?’”

The fatwa centre’s free telephone number is 800 2422. It can also be contacted by SMS or through the Awqaf website.



zconstantine@thenational.ae

talramahi@thenational.ae