CAIRO, May 11 (MENA) - The House of Representatives, under Speaker Hanafi Gebali, approved Sunday a draft law submitted by the government regulating the issuance of religious fatwas by standing vote after required majority being reached.

The approval came after MP Ali Gomaa reviewed a report of the joint committee of the Religious Affairs and Awqa (Endowments) Committee and the Office of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee on the aforementioned draft law.

The committee's report indicated that issuing fatwas without a comprehensive legal framework would encourage unqualified individuals to enter this sensitive field of specialization that could lead to the dissemination of erroneous, extremist, or lenient fatwas that threaten the intellectual security of society and harm its higher interests.

Therefore, it is important to have a law regulating the fatwa issuance process, designating a competent authority, outlining mechanisms for issuing fatwas and setting necessary controls and standards to ensure that fatwas are issued by holders of recognized academic qualifications adhering to the constants and objectives of Sharia (religious law based on Quran), the report said.

According to the report, issuing a law regulating fatwas is no longer just an option, but rather an indispensable national and religious requirement, to protect religion, maintain societal security and safeguard national unity.

The report said, the proposed draft law aims to enhance religious and social stability, ensure the quality of fatwas and their compatibility with Islamic law, enhance transparency in the practice of fatwas, protect society from extremist or incorrect fatwas and ensure that institutions, press and media outlets, websites, social media accounts and applications with their content are committed to publishing fatwas issued by specialists.

It also aims to implement the concept of having a grand mosque in every governorate and subsequently in every district across the country where the public can seek a sharia-abiding advise from highly qualified imams and scholars, said the report.

The report highlighted the efforts being exerted by the Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) to hone the skills of a large number of imams to provide fatwa services in the various domains, including marital relations, family reform, and inheritance, as well as countering terrorism through dismantling extremist ideology. (MENA)

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