'Fatwas and Their Role in Achieving Islamic Unity'.. Seminar at CIBF
The seminar was moderated by Dr. Mohamed Gamal, a researcher at the Office for the Revival of Islamic Heritage at Al-Azhar Headquarters.
At the beginning of the seminar, His Eminence Prof. Dr. Nazir Ayyad emphasized that the principles of Islamic legislation—such as fraternity, mercy, and harmony—play a significant role in fostering human fraternity and advancing civilizational leadership in societies. He explained that the philosophy of Islamic legislation, similar to other divine religions, is built on creed, jurisprudence, and ethical behavior, aiming to unite the nation through shared worship, goals, and timeframes. He further highlighted that this unity is the ultimate salvation and the central objective of Islamic law, as emphasized in the Prophetic statement: 'A believer to another believer is like a building whose parts support one another.'
The Grand Mufti added that sound fatwas serve as an effective remedy and a safe fortress for society, emphasizing that the sustainability of nations and the preservation of communities can only be achieved through well-founded fatwas that uphold the principles and fundamentals of religion while taking into account contemporary realities and societal needs. He noted that fatwas foster the principle of human fraternity—both among Muslims and between Muslims and non-Muslims.
For his part, Dr. Samir Boudinar remarked that the Muslim world today suffers under the weight of divisions and conflicts that threaten the unity and social fabric of the Muslim nation. He underscored the pivotal role of sound fatwas in protecting the social fabric, promoting unity, and fostering cohesion within the Muslim nation. Throughout history, fatwas have addressed challenges and overcome obstacles facing the nation in every era, particularly those related to the unprecedented issues and needs of society.
Dr. Boudinar also stressed the importance of religious institutions working in harmony with other societal institutions and interdisciplinary sciences to safeguard the intellectual security of individuals and communities and to unify the Muslim nation, which is constantly threatened by division and discord. He highlighted the role of research centers in supporting the issuance of fatwas by contributing to the training of muftis and providing them with necessary interdisciplinary knowledge.
The Muslim Council of Elders is participating with a dedicated stand at the 56th Cairo International Book Fair, running from January 23 to February 5, 2025. The stand features a wide range of the Council's featured publications and hosts various seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of goodness, love, peace, and coexistence among all humanity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily News Egypt
11 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Southern Syria's Power Vacuum: Will Israel Become the Unlikely Guardian?
As the smoke of Syria's civil war settles—only to rise again in new, unpredictable ways—an entirely different reality has taken hold south of Damascus. There, in the stretch of desert that spills toward the Jordanian frontier and the Golan Heights, no single power commands authority. Instead, a fractured mosaic of Druze fighters, Bedouin clans, jihadist remnants, and rifle-wielding militias carves out territories amid complete state collapse. This is not the Syria we once knew. The United Nations still labels its ruling factions 'terrorist,' yet even that designation obscures the daily drama unfolding on the ground: hundreds slaughtered, wounded, or displaced in clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities around Suwayda. Once, these confrontations were local disputes over pasturelands and water rights—now they have become existential battles, each side convinced its survival hangs in the balance. Since October 2023, the Assad regime has all but vanished from southern Syria. Its vaunted 'Fifth Corps'—propped up by Russian officers and staffed by recruited ex-ISIS fighters—has collapsed under its own contradictions. Bakeries and flour mills lie in ruins, military checkpoints have dissolved, and the 'Al-Sharaa Government' exists only on paper. With 88% of vital infrastructure destroyed and 2.1 million civilians deprived of basic needs, the humanitarian toll is staggering: children starving to death in their mothers' arms, hospitals gasping for medicine, and more than 5,200 wounded or displaced by the violence of competing armed factions. Into this vacuum steps Israel—unannounced but increasingly unavoidable. Tel Aviv has long professed an 'unofficial moral commitment' to Syria's Druze minority, who dwell perilously close to its border. Two months ago, Israeli commandos reportedly intervened directly to protect a Druze enclave under attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister have repeatedly declared that safeguarding Syria's Druze is 'a moral and social obligation' of the Jewish state. For many Druze trapped between collapsing authority and marauding militias, Israel's intervention is not a choice but a lifeline. 'If Damascus cannot protect us,' they ask, 'who else but Israel?' In a landscape where every actor is suspect, Tel Aviv paradoxically emerges as the only guarantor of stability—at least for those it chooses to defend. This is both an opportunity and a dilemma for Israel. As Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar recently put it, Israel seeks to 'extend the circle of peace to Syria and Lebanon,' even as it insists the Golan Heights remains unequivocally Israeli territory. The old agreements once negotiated with Damascus are buried beneath the rubble; 'what is past is dead,' in Sa'ar's words. A new order is rising—one defined not by treaties but by raw power and on-the-ground realities. Yet questions abound. Will Israel's ad hoc security role evolve into a formal arrangement with a Damascus government it never truly recognised? Can Tel Aviv balance its strategic interests with the moral imperative of protecting civilians? And who, ultimately, will guarantee any future accord when the only credible fighting force is tribal loyalty, not national unity? For now, southern Syria remains a test case—of Israel's willingness to police its borderlands, of the international community's readiness to step in where states have failed, and of the Druze community's faith in an unlikely protector. In this fragile interlude, every stray bullet and empty stomach serves as a reminder that, sometimes, peace begins when chaos seems interminable. But peace also demands vision: a durable force to uphold any agreement, clear security arrangements among neighbours, and, most critically, a commitment to human dignity that transcends sectarian lines. Until then, Israel's 'unspoken duty' in Syria's southern chaos may be the only semblance of order—or compassion—left in a land bereft of both. Dr. Hatem Sadek – Professor at Helwan University
Daily News Egypt
11 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Illicit Economy Fuels Armed Groups and Instability in East Africa
Armed groups across East Africa are increasingly funded by a vast illicit economy that includes illegal mining, trafficking, smuggling, and the trade of everyday goods. Experts warn this shadow economy is not only undermining regional governments but also fueling violence and prolonging conflicts. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, armed groups earn up to $1.3 billion annually from illegal mineral trade, sustaining operations and enabling regrouping after defeats. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab profits from taxing the charcoal trade, generating up to $10 million a year. The group also earns millions more from sugar smuggling into Kenya, and from controlling trade routes for fuel and food. Human trafficking and narcotics have also become key revenue streams. Al-Shabaab and other groups tax or facilitate heroin shipments through East African ports, while armed actors in Libya and Darfur profit from smuggling networks. A joint INTERPOL report estimates seven major African armed groups generate up to $1.39 billion annually through such illicit activities. The human cost is severe—linked to child labor, torture, sexual violence, and widespread rights abuses. These groups often act as de facto authorities in remote areas, collecting taxes and enforcing rule by force. Regional experts and international bodies are calling for stronger cross-border cooperation to curb illicit trade, improve governance, and prevent the black economy from further destabilizing East Africa. Without decisive action, these underground networks will continue to empower violence and weaken fragile states.
See - Sada Elbalad
15 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
OIC Warns of Israeli Occupation's Plans to Impose Control over Ibrahimi Mosque
Mohamed Mandour The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, delivered a speech at the opening session of the open-ended emergency meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the level of Permanent Representatives regarding the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and the targeting of holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil. The meeting was held at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The Secretary-General stated that this meeting was held to discuss a new Israeli attack on the Islamic identity of Palestinian cities, represented by the withdrawal of administrative and historical powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian side. This attack represents one episode in a series of Israeli aggressions against the Ibrahimi Mosque since the occupation of the city on June 8, 1967. Taha affirmed that the OIC rejects and warns against the danger of the Israeli occupation's plans aimed at imposing full control over the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil, Judaizing it, and altering its identity and historical landmarks. He added that the OIC also condemns the blatant attacks on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the bombing of churches and mosques in Gaza City in flagrant violation of human values and international conventions. He noted that all these measures aimed at Judaizing the city of Al-Quds and isolating it from its Palestinian surroundings are illegitimate and invalid under international law and United Nations resolutions. In his address before the permanent representatives of the OIC Member States, the Secretary-General emphasized that the continuation of this unprecedented humanitarian crisis constitutes a war crime, a stain on the entire humanity, and a violation of the principles of justice and human dignity. He called for the need to multiply international efforts to pressure the Israeli occupation in order to achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, open all crossings, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. He also emphasized the need to enable the Palestinian government to assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and begin the reconstruction process. This emergency meeting of the OIC's Executive Committee, at the level of permanent representatives, is being held amid the unprecedented worsening of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing crimes of genocide, starvation, and forced displacement perpetrated by the Israeli occupation and the escalation of Israeli attacks on both Islamic and Christian places of worship. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
