Mufti of Tunisia: ‘I did not endorse Kaïs Saïed’

Tunisian Mufti, Othman Battikh, has denied rumours on social media that he supported Kaïs Saïed in the second round of the Tunisian presidential elections.

Websites circulated a statement attributed to Battikh, in which he attacked the candidate Nabil Karoui, and called to vote in favour of his rival, Kaïs Saïed.

The mufti denied these rumours on the Facebook page of the Office of Issuing Fatwas: “A false statement has been posted on a social media page in which I allegedly call for voting in favour for one party for the second round of presidential elections while insulting and defaming the other party. This cannot be believed, as I did not say so. It is untruthful, wrong, and against the moral ethics on which I have been raised. It is also a poisonous statement defaming the man, while the accused is innocent until the judiciary issues a verdict on his case.”

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“Because the Mufti’s position is essentially a noble and sublime religious mission that has nothing to do with politics or defaming people, and because he is the Mufti of the Republic of Tunisia, he must be a neutral person who is up to people’s trust. This statement contains an intrigue, spreads strife, and does not come from a reasonable person or a state official. Any statement that is not issued on the social media page of the Office of Issuing Fatwas of the Republic of Tunisia or from a direct official statement is utterly untruthful and must be denounced,” the Mufti added.

It is noted that legislative elections are scheduled for 6 October, while the Independent High Authority for Elections is expected to officially announce, on Wednesday, the date of the second round of the presidential elections, which is expected to be on the 13th of this month as the maximum legal and constitutional deadline.