Latest news with #SupremeFatwaCouncil
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
First Eid Adha Prayer Performed in Post-Assad Damascus
Syria celebrated Eid al-Adha on Friday for the first time since the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, ministers, military commanders, religious officials and members of the public performed Eid prayers at the presidential palace in Damascus. In a message to the people on Eid, Sharaa stressed that Syria was recovering after 14 years of war and suffering. State news agency SANA said tens of thousands of people flocked to Damascus' squares to perform the prayer. People from across Syria were eager to perform the Eid prayer at the Umayyad Mosque for the first time since Assad's ouster. Damascus Governor Maher Marwan said the country was recovering on several levels 'thanks to the unity and patience of its people.' Sharaa later headed to the southern province of Daraa, his first since assuming his post. He was warmly welcomed by the locals, who showed up in droves to receive him. Meanwhile, the country's Supreme Fatwa Council issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning extrajudicial acts of revenge. It stressed that justice can only be achieved through the relevant authorities. This will achieve societal security and justice. The council made the announcement after it received several complaints about individual acts of vengeance. US special envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack was quick to hail the fatwa, saying: 'Great first steps for a new Syrian government marching toward a new Syria.' The council also called for speeding up judicial procedures against suspects, the adoption of effective laws and keeping figures connected to the ousted regime away from the judiciary. Achieving justice and ending oppression are among the foundations of civil peace, it declared. It warned that individual calls for vengeance are in violation of Sharia law and will only stoke chaos and strife, and threaten social unity.
Shafaq News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Syria's religious leadership: Osama Al-Rifai appointed Grand Mufti
Shafaq News/ Syria's transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa has appointed Sheikh Osama bin Abdul Karim al-Rifai as the country's Grand Mufti. During a conference to inaugurate the newly formed Supreme Fatwa Council, a body tasked with issuing religious rulings, Al-Sharaa said, 'We were compelled to rebuild what the fallen regime had destroyed across all fields — and among the most important of these was the office of the Grand Mufti.' 'Today, this post is held by one of the most distinguished scholars of the Levant, the esteemed Sheikh al-Rifai — may God preserve him,' he continued. According to the presidential decree, the Fatwa Council — chaired by al-Rifai and comprised of 14 members — will hold collective responsibility for issuing religious rulings. 'The fatwa is a sacred trust, a declaration made on behalf of God,' Al-Sharaa said, emphasizing that the council must deliberate carefully before issuing any decision. The council's mandate reportedly includes providing religious guidance on new and evolving issues, issuing rulings on referred matters, appointing regional muftis and fatwa committees, supervising fatwa institutions across the provinces, and offering advisory support. Decisions will be made by majority vote. In the case of a tie, the Grand Mufti will have the deciding vote. Al-Rifai will also oversee the council's operations and implement its resolutions and recommendations. Born in Damascus in 1944, al-Rifai is a Syrian preacher and jurist who was a vocal critic of both Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. His support for the 2011 uprising led to state pressure, including alleged beatings and assassination attempts by then-regime loyalists. He was reportedly forced into exile, living in Saudi Arabia and later Turkiye, where he co-founded the Syrian Islamic Council in 2014 alongside other exiled scholars. After the regime's fall, al-Rifai returned to Syria. On Friday, former regime-appointed mufti Ahmad Hassoun was detained while attempting to leave the country via Damascus Airport. Hassoun was allegedly en route to Jordan for medical treatment when he was taken into custody under an arrest warrant accusing him of "evading justice." His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Shafaq News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Source: Syria's new cabinet to reflect sectarian diversity
Shafaq News/ Syria is nearing the announcement of its new cabinet, which will feature candidates from diverse components, a Syrian government source revealed on Friday. The changes will affect 22 ministers, with only one or two possibly remaining unchanged, the source told Shafaq News. 'The adjustments will be fair to all Syrian components, with ministries held by representatives from various sects, including Kurds, Christians, and Druze,' he added. A ministry will also be allocated to a woman, and some ministries will be merged into agencies. Additionally, a decision has reportedly been made to establish the Supreme Fatwa Council in Syria, replacing a ministry. In February, transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa reaffirmed his firm rejection of sectarian quotas. He emphasized that the primary goal is to manage Syria on institutional and legal foundations that ensure the unity of the state and prevent any practices that could lead to division or disintegration.
