Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta: It's Everyone's Responsibility to Renew Religious Discourse

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam. Reuters
Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam. Reuters
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Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta: It's Everyone's Responsibility to Renew Religious Discourse

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam. Reuters
Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam. Reuters

Egypt's Dar al-Ifta has asserted that the renewal of religious discourse isn’t restricted to religious institutions in the country, stressing that it is everyone's responsibility.

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam highlighted Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi call to renew religious discourse in 2014, saying it was an invitation to address contemporary issues.

Sisi stressed during the celebration of the birth of the Prophet last month that awareness and a correct understanding of religion is among the top priorities of the current stage.

Also, during the conference dubbed “Al-Azhar International Conference on Renovation of Islamic Thought”, the Egyptian president warned that procrastination over the issue would give the opportunity to those who claim knowledge to brainwash youth into adopting wrong religious beliefs and misconceptions.

A wise religious speech nourishes good qualities in people unlike hate speeches that lead to crises and methodological misconceptions, Allam added.

He also underscored the scientific approach in implementing the concepts and texts of the Quran and the prophet’s teaching, calling for a rational understanding of Islam.



Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)

The festivity of Eid al-Adha in Baghdad was overshadowed by growing political tensions, particularly over the unresolved salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region.

While Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani opted for a neutral gesture - issuing a general holiday greeting and performing Eid prayers without comment - other political leaders used the occasion to speak pointedly about the nation’s deepening challenges.

Al-Sudani attended Eid prayers at Al-Rasoul Mosque in the capital, choosing to remain silent on political matters. However, influential Shiite cleric and head of the Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali both delivered speeches that touched on the country’s fraught political and economic landscape.

Al-Hakim warned against the use of political money in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11, 2025.

Calling the vote “historic,” he emphasized the need for electoral integrity and urged political blocs to adopt a national code of conduct barring the use of illicit funds. “There is talk of a market where candidates and voters are being bought. This is corruption and betrayal of the people,” he said.

He also addressed Iraq’s perennial electricity crisis, calling for a “strategic state of emergency” to resolve the issue once and for all. “Despite changing governments and large budgets, the same problems repeat themselves,” he noted.

Al-Hakim stressed the need for governments to define clear priorities, including agriculture, water, and clean energy, and said Iraqis “deserve a dignified life that begins with stable electricity and ends with technological advancement.”

Khazali, meanwhile, focused his remarks on the Kurdistan Region salary crisis, criticizing accusations from Kurdish media that he was responsible for the federal government’s suspension of public sector salaries in the region. “It’s simply not true,” he said. “Unfortunately, salaries remain unpaid to this day.”

He stressed that despite Iraq’s wealth, the country continues to suffer from poverty and unemployment, and argued that the roots of these issues lie in the legacy of the former Ba’ath regime.

Khazali also pointed out that Kurdistan experiences higher poverty rates than the rest of Iraq, and that many Iraqi refugees abroad are from the region.

Turning to the electricity crisis, he warned this summer could be the most difficult in years, as outages are expected to worsen. “All past governments focused on increasing output but ignored the need to instill a culture of energy conservation,” he said, warning that some groups may seek to exploit the crisis to sow internal unrest.