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| Iraq | |
| Iraqis: Al Azhar Fatwa regarding council ââshamefulââ | |
| 2003-08-28 | |
| Iraqi parties blasted al-Azhar - Islamâs most revered authority - at the backdrop of its Fatwa banning Arab and Islamic countries from dealing with the Iraqi Governing Council, calling the US- backed body illegitimate. The Iraqi parties have also rejected the decree from the Arab-worldâs highest-ranking Sunni Muslim institution, describing it as a âshameâ. They suggested that it would be more useful for al-Azhar not to indulge in political issues that concerned Iraqis. "Mind your own business." On August 19, al Azhar issued a Fatwa banning Arab and Islamic countries from dealing with Iraqâs interim Governing Council, saying it lacks religious and political legitimacy. It described the council as been imposed on the Iraqis by the will of the occupation, and does not conform to Islamâs established principle of Shura. But Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the grand sheikh of al-Azhar mosque and university, said on Wednesday the committee that issued that fatwa had no right to make such judgements and would be brought to account. Tantawi told Reuters the clerics would be called to task for issuing the unauthorised ruling. The Iraqi Wifaq party criticized al Azharâs fatwa, reiterating that only the Iraqi people have the right to choose their political destinity. âOnly the Iraqi people have the right to accept or reject the governing council⊠neither al Azhar or anyone else for that matter have the right to interfere in internal Iraqi issues,â said Ibrahim al Janabi - Wifaqâs secretary general. Speaking to Al Bawaba via telephone, in what seemed to be a jab at Egypt, Janabi said, âal Azhar is being pressed by certain powers⊠we are sorry to hear of such political Fatwas from the highest ranking Sunni institution in the Arab world â it [the Fatwa] has nothing to do with religion and it is shameful and completely rejected.â
I donât know anything about Ibrahim al-Janabi, but he sounds good at least. For its part, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq expressed its regret at the fatwa, which they described as Standard Arab procedure, denounce in public, deal in private. The temporary head of the governing council, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, expressed his satisfaction with the result of his Arab tour that included seven countries and a visit to the Arab Leagueâs headquarters in Cairo. The tour included visits to the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The delegation was supposed to visit Yemen as well, but was postponed at the last minute. "Are you nuts? Yemen is too dangerous." He described the success of the visit as an implied - yet unofficial - recognition of Iraqâs interim Governing Council. The Arab league has refused to recognize the Iraqi body officially. Like I said, standard Arab procedure. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 So what's the penalty for a rogue fatwa? Double secret probation, no ice cream, they take away your bullets, they make you work with Shaky, the alcoholic bomb maker? What's the deal? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-8-28 10:58:46 PM |
| #5 apparently this was a "rogue" Fatwa, and the cleric who issued it is now in trouble with his university. AFP: 'The highest seat of learning for Sunni Islam said it would investigate a senior cleric who called on Muslim states to boycott Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council, but it denied reports he had been fired. "No decision was taken to suspend or lay off Sheikh Nabawi Mohamad al-Ish. There will be an internal investigation only," a spokesman of the Cairo-based Al-Azhar mosque and university told Egypt's official MENA news agency. Earlier, an official from Al-Azhar said Ish was suspended from his functions there, and the government-appointed grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, Mohamad Sayyed Tantawi, said the cleric "does not represent Al-Azhar." ' |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-8-28 3:46:51 PM |
| #4 The mullahs, muftis, ad nausium, have issued so many Fatwas that we now have Fatwa Inflation, so the value of the individual Fatwa has declined precipitiously. The world has heard so many Fatwas that it is suffering from Fatwa Fatigue. Ye Olde Fatwa⢠ain't what it used to be Many long years ago... |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-8-28 1:17:19 PM |
| #3 Oooh, an "Up Yours" moment to their elitist elders. They're catching on quickly, aren't they? I'm so proud! |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-8-28 1:14:46 PM |
| #2 The Egyptian government-appointed head of Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning Thursday suspended a senior cleric who had called on Muslim states to boycott Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council. Al-Azhar chief Sheikh Mohamad Sayyed Tantawi said Egyptian cleric Sheikh Nabawi Mohamad al-Ish "does not represent Al-Azhar." "No Egyptian cleric has the right to pass verdict on the affairs of another country," Tantawi said in a statement carried by the official MENA news agency. "I cannot overstep the Iraqi sheikhs and proclaim fatwas (religious edicts) on matters that concern them. Iraqi ulema (clerics) have to pronounce their opinion on this matter as they are more familiar with their own affairs." Humm, egyptian government controlled cleric backing off? Somebody get a phone call? |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-8-28 11:21:53 AM |
| #1 This is exactly the point: any fatheaded mullah/imam can issue a fatwa on any subject he likes, regardless of any familiarity with the subject. And these morons act like it means something. Freakin' hopeless. "Game over, man!" |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-8-28 11:16:59 AM |