Organizing religious institutions: Dabaiba’s attempt to return Libya to Ghariani’s fatwas

Mostafa Mohamed

There is a new attempt by the outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU) in Libya led by Abdul Hamid Dabaiba to organize the work of Libyan religious institutions by launching an initiative called “Regulating the Work of Official Religious Institutions”, under the pretext of ensuring the unity of the discourse for the country to serve as a national pact in religious affairs in which all parties participate.

Organizing the work of religious institutions

While chairing the regular meeting of the outgoing GNU in the capital, Tripoli, Dabaiba announced the launch of an initiative for the religious work institution in Libya under the slogan “And hold fast to the rope of God all together”.

Dabaiba claimed that the initiative aims to organize the work of religious institutions in a way that guarantees the unity of the word for this country and guarantees its stability to culminate in the issuance of a national charter in religious affairs in which all parties participate, in reference to the confusion that accompanied the sighting of the Eid Al-Fitr crescent.

Groups enter the line

The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and the Brotherhood in Libya entered the line, as the former legitimate official of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Sami Al-Saadi, demanded the Dabaiba government to confront anyone who supports, establishes or participates in networks of sabotage and corruption in Libya, and to impose the harshest penalties to everyone who supports, establishes or participates in these networks.

The leader of the Justice and Construction Party (JCP), the political arm of the Brotherhood in the country, Abd al-Razzaq al-Aradi, also commented in a statement on the Dabaiba decision, announcing his support for it and stressing that the state is entrusted with the religion of the people and that the chaos of institutions and the import of fatwas must end.

Behind the initiative

For his part, Mohamed Qashout, a researcher of Libyan affairs, believes that this initiative is a new plan for the Dabaiba government to control religious institutions, as Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs Walid Al-Lafi, who is known for his loyalty to Brotherhood mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani, is behind the initiative, according to which Lafi and Ghariani will direct the work of religious institutions, headed by the Endowment Authority, the Zakat Funds, the Da’wa Association, mosques, Sharia colleges, religious institutes and Sufi corners, through a committee to select imams and another body to manage endowments.

Qashout confirmed in statements to the Reference that this initiative is nothing but an attempt by Dabaiba and his government to consolidate their pillars more inside Libya and in an effort to complete his tasks until elections are held in the country.