Abu Dhabi: The Cabinet has approved the formation of the UAE Fatwa Council to coordinate fatwas and unify their sources as well as to regulate their affairs and mechanisms of issuing them in the country.
The new council, chaired by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, will be the official reference source for fatwas in the country.
It aims to combine relevant efforts, visions and objectives, and organise the work of government authorities, institutions and individuals related to fatwas.
The council is mandated to issue general fatwas concerning various topics, or upon the request of official authorities, institutions or individuals. In addition, the council is responsible for granting licences to issue fatwas, train muftis and develop their skills, and conduct related studies and research, in coordination with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
The council's members include experts in Islamic Sharia, such as Omar Habtour Thaib Al Darai, Shamma Yousef Mohammad Al Daheri, Abdullah Mohammad Ahmad Al Ansari and Ahmad Mohammad Ahmad Yousef Al Shehhi, who will represent the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
Other members include Ahmad Abdul Aziz Qasem Al Haddad from the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, Salem Mohammad Al Dubi from the Islamic Affairs Department in Sharjah, and Ebrahim Obaid Ali Al Ali from the Umm Al Qaiwain Court.
The council will also supervise fatwas issued by other authorities and will represent the UAE at international conferences and seminars.
