Exclusive: High Islamic Council in Cameroon praises Inter. Conference for Fatwa

CAIRO – 24 October 2017: National President of High Islamic Council in Cameroon Sheikh Oumarou Malam Djibing stated in an exclusive interview to Egypt Today that the International Conference for Fatwa is a great step forward to consolidating “fatwas” (religious edicts) over the world.

“I would like to thank Egypt, its president and Islamic institutions for the great effort they exert to confront misleading thoughts and fatwas that call for violence and extremism,” added Djibing.


The International Conference for Fatwa, Thursday, October 19 - Amr Moustafa

Djibing hailed the conference as a great opportunity to gather scholars over the world to discuss the updates on events on the religious and humanitarian levels and how to deal with these issues to confront terrorism and extremism.

“We need more communication through such conferences to be held regularly to coordinate and cooperate to overcome the challenges we face that threaten our stability and security,” Djibing stated to Egypt Today.


Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb delivering his speech during the International Conference for Fatwa in Cairo on Tuesday - Photo by Mohamed Asal, Egypt Today.

“We suffered the last three years in Cameroon from the phenomena of terrorism and extremism by the terrorist group Boko Haram, which killed thousands of our citizens, displaced thousands and destroyed farmlands,” stated Djibing.

He pointed out that Cameroon’s military forces could defeat Boko Haram and have made great victory and forced them to return back to Nigeria.


Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Muhammad bin Abdul Karim gives his speech during the International Conference for Fatwa. Photo by Mohamed Asal, Egypt Today

The president of High Islamic Council also stated that Cameroon has a long history of relations with Egypt and Al-Azhar since its independence, indicating that he will communicate with Al-Azhar officials to increase the number students from Cameroon studying in Al-Azhar.

“I hope we can hold more conferences to confront this misleading thought and fatwas and offer the tolerant message of Islam, which calls for peace and coexistence among all people,” added Djibing.


Egypt’s Mufti Shawky Allam delivering his speech during the International Conference for Fatwa in Cairo on Tuesday. Photo by Mohamed Asal, Egypt Today

This came after the International Conference for Fatwa, under the title of "The Role of Fatwa in Creating a Stable Society", concluded by issuing a list of 19 recommendations.
The three-day conference held by the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi was part of the president’s call for renewing religious discourses.


Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) in UAE Mohammed Matar al-Kaabi – File photo

Delegations from 80 countries were keen to attend the conference and discuss misleading fatwas inside their states and their impacts on societies.

The final recommendations statement stated that it’s important to keep conducting regular conferences and meetings around the world to discuss the new challenges that face Islamic communities. It was added that “the culture of giving the right fatwas to people” became a major necessity nowadays, since “many odd fatwas started to spread widely.”


During the International Conference for Fatwa – File photo

The conference also stressed the importance of establishing a database and an information center to gather all of the ratified and trusted fatwas from around the world to facilitate locating them when needed.

“We also call on fatwa entities and administrations to use new technological means to facilitate the process of receiving and distributing correct, ratified fatwas,” the statement added.

“We should all know that any fatwa that aims to demolish families and communities is not part of our religion, and we should all take a firm stance against it,” the statement read.


During the International Conference for Fatwa – File photo

The recommendations also included implementing an international fatwa protocol and establishing a separate system specialized in “family case fatwas.”

It was also affirmed by the statement that extremism on all levels is “the fastest way to create chaos inside communities,” and that scholars’ main role is to prevent them.

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Egypt's Mufti Shawky Allam, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Muhammad bin Abdul Karim, and Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) in the UAE Mohammed Matar al-Kaabi Issa inaugurated the conference on Tuesday, October 17.


The International Conference for Fatwa, Thursday, October 19 - Amr Moustafa

In his speech on the first day of the conference, Egypt’s Mufti Shawky Allam said the challenges that Egypt and the world face are due to “misleading fatwas” that threaten security and peace.

“Since the world rises up against terrorism, religious intellectuals should confront extremist thoughts, too, and spread the teachings of our tolerant religion instead,” Allam added.