UAE Proposal Would Unify Fatwa Procedures Through Federal Law

In the United Arab Emirates, the government is taking steps to bring under control the "fatwa chaos" that has resulted from religious rulings being issued by unqualified sources. The National reports today that the first step towards standardizing national fatwa procedures was taken last year when a dedicated fatwa centre was created to answer questions from the public on religious topics. Now the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) has submitted a draft of new legislation for Cabinet approval. The bill would create a high committee consisting of qualified religious scholars-- particularly from the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence--drawn from all seven emirates. They would set federal fatwa policies, and would decide on a single federal position on major religious issues. The proposed law would also regulate those who are qualified to issue religious edicts. Proponents of the law are concerned about the confusion created by the present situation, and the promulgation of radical fatwas that do not represent the core of authentic Islam.