Egypt Grand Mufti Joins Al-Azhar Grand Imam in Sparking Polygamy Rethink

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam | Getty Images
Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam | Getty Images
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Egypt Grand Mufti Joins Al-Azhar Grand Imam in Sparking Polygamy Rethink

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam | Getty Images
Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam | Getty Images

Despite over a week having passed since Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb made his remarks on women experiencing injustice in some polygamous marriages, the debate of employing equality in such unions, permitted in Islam, remains in discussion.

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam has entered the debate, making clear statements in support of Tayeb’s pro-women remarks, saying the Quranic excerpts are being largely misinterpreted when it comes to gender-based issues.

Tayeb, Sunni Islam’s highest authority, said that the issue of polygamy is an injustice to women and it is not the origin of Islam, but it is conditional, adding that polygamy is often practiced due to “a lack of understanding of the Quran.” His statement came during a weekly televised interview and on his Twitter account. It was considered the first comment by a top religious cleric on polygamy, stirring huge debate among people.

Allam, in an official statement, said that familial stability is a shared responsibility among married couples. He added that Quranic verses that leverage men over women are present only within the context of unions and families, and not beyond.

Tayeb warned that polygamy can often be “an injustice for women and children” and said husbands “must obey conditions of fairness and if there is not fairness, it is forbidden to have multiple wives.” He also went on to explain that “polygamy had pre-dated Islam in the Arab societies, and that Islam had worked to put an end to chaos it had created when left unchecked and introduce regulation."

While Tayeb indicated a willingness to change al-Azhar’s policy on polygamy, many religious scholars have expressed opposition to the move.



Yemen Foils Houthi Plot to Assassinate UN Envoy Grundberg

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in a previous briefing to the Security Council (AFP)
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in a previous briefing to the Security Council (AFP)
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Yemen Foils Houthi Plot to Assassinate UN Envoy Grundberg

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in a previous briefing to the Security Council (AFP)
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in a previous briefing to the Security Council (AFP)

The Yemeni government has revealed it recently thwarted a plot by the Houthi militia to assassinate UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg. The operation was reportedly planned by a Houthi cell described as one of the most dangerous assassination networks operating in liberated areas, according to Yemen’s official news agency (SABA).

Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, stated that the plot was intended to create chaos in government-controlled regions and cast doubt on the state’s ability to provide security.

Grundberg, a Swedish diplomat, has served as the UN’s Special Envoy to Yemen since August 2021, following the tenure of Martin Griffiths of the UK.

Speaking during a meeting in Aden with the head of the European delegation to Yemen and several EU ambassadors, Al-Alimi said that Yemeni intelligence had uncovered a Houthi cell responsible for the killing of a World Food Programme staff member in Taiz, as well as other attacks on activists, journalists, and civilians.

He claimed the same group was preparing to target Grundberg as part of a broader effort to destabilize liberated provinces.

Asharq Al-Awsat reached out to the UN Envoy’s office for comment on the alleged plot and whether any additional security measures had been taken, but received no response at the time of publication.

Al-Alimi also briefed European diplomats on Yemen’s worsening economic crisis, aggravated by Houthi attacks on oil infrastructure and shipping.

“This is not only a military war, but also an economic battle to protect millions of livelihoods,” he said.

Since Houthi strikes halted oil exports, Yemen has lost nearly 70% of its public revenue. The government is now working to make up for this through domestic sources.

He warned that the Houthis continue to wage economic war by printing unauthorized currency and deepening financial divisions.

“This is a calculated attempt to collapse the economy,” Al-Alimi said, describing the group as a transnational threat involved in assassinations, smuggling, and hostage-taking.

He urged the EU to designate the Houthis as a terrorist group and adopt firm measures to isolate them as an armed entity operating outside international law.