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Oman's Grand Mufti commends Libyan Elders for condemning anti-Ibadi incitement

July 14, 2024 at 11:36 am

The Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamad Al-Khalili in the Qatari capital Doha on September 21, 2014 [FAISAL AL-TAMIMI/AFP/Getty Images]

Oman’s senior cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Khalili has expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Council of Libyan Elders and Notables for their strong stance against statements inciting sectarian strife in the country. This follows the Council’s call for the dissolution of the General Authority for Endowments (Awqaf) and action against those sowing discord, referring them for investigation.

The Council’s statement came during the closing session of the Libyan Elders and Notables Forum in Jadu on Tuesday, in response to a controversial Facebook post by the Awqaf Authority in Tripoli. The post labeled the Ibadi sect as an “innovative sect,” sparking significant backlash.

 

On Thursday, Sheikh Al-Khalili said in a post on X: “We thank the Supreme Council of Elders and Notables of Libya as it condemned the seditious statement in the country. By attacking the Ibadi doctrine and trying to confiscate his freedom to endow it.”

“What we hope from the Libyan government and the notables of society there is to ensure unity and unify the word. When the fire of temptation is kindled, it does not remain or scatter!” the Grand Mufti added.

The Council warned that the actions of the Awqaf Authority posed a serious threat to peace and social security in Libya by inciting sectarian conflict. They held the unity government accountable for the Authority’s behavior and demanded urgent measures to dissolve it, with a one-month deadline for implementation. They also advocated for transferring the affiliation of endowment offices to regional municipalities.

In 2017, the Supreme Fatwa Committee of Libya’s eastern government issued a fatwa declaring the Ibadi sect as infidels, raising fears of sectarian violence in neighbouring Tunisia and Algeria, where there are also Ibadi communities.

The Ibadiyya, an early denomination of Islam, has historically been associated with peace and tolerance, particularly in regions like the Maghreb despite their roots to the Khawaraji movement. In Oman, they form the dominant denomination, however, in Libya, the sect has faced increasing pressure and exclusion, with extremist factions gaining influence and pushing for a more rigid interpretation of Islam.

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