Fatwa chaos deepens Gaza's suffering

Despite the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip — now surpassing 560 days and resulting in over 51,000 martyrs and 116,000 injured — the conflicting fatwas issued by religious authorities across the Arab and Islamic worlds regarding the course of the war continue unabated.

This controversy, both complex and polarising, has involved prominent religious institutions, preachers, and well-known religious figures. It has fuelled widespread debate across media and social media platforms, ultimately contributing to further division and compounding the suffering of Gazans.

This “flood of fatwas” surprised many — not in their number, but in the stark contradictions between them, the diversity of opinions, and the varying interpretations of the Palestinian right to resist, the legitimacy of self-defence, and the efficacy of the 7 October 2023 offensive.

The Barhami Fatwa

Perhaps the most controversial and provocative fatwa came from Egyptian Salafi preacher Yasser Barhami, who blamed the people of Gaza for the war, claiming they initiated it unilaterally and only consulted Iran, excluding other Islamic nations. He argued that “the Palestinian resistance has not served the cause; this is not resistance and has done nothing for Al-Aqsa — it has only ruined the country,” in his words.

Barhami further inflamed the debate by suggesting that any intent by Egypt to wage war must be preceded by notifying Israel of officially annulling the 1979 Camp David peace treaty.

The timing of Barhami’s fatwa — given that the war has raged for over a year and a half — raised suspicions about possible pressure from higher authorities, according to Egyptian political analyst and academic Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hafiz.

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Egyptian intervention

Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta was also involved in the debate, announcing its rejection of a fatwa issued by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (a non-governmental organisation based in Dublin), which declared that “armed jihad against the occupation in Palestine is an obligation upon every Muslim,” and considered “providing military, financial, political, and legal support to the resistance a religious duty.”

The fatwa, published on the Union’s official website, also called for “the prohibition of normalisation with the Zionist enemy, banning the supply of oil and gas to the occupying entity, and reconsidering peace treaties signed by Arab states with the occupying power.”

The Union was established in July 2004, held its first general assembly in London, and is registered in Dublin. It comprises 42 members and is currently led by Sheikh Ali Mohieddin Al-Qaradaghi, an Iraqi national.

In an official statement issued this month, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Nazir Ayyad described the aforementioned fatwa as “reckless adventurism that leads to chaos and corruption on Earth,” adding that “calling for jihad without considering the nation’s political, military, and economic realities is irresponsible and contrary to Islamic principles.”

Ayyad emphasised that “one of the core principles of Sharia is that whoever calls for jihad must be at the forefront themselves, rather than inciting emotions while leaving others to face the consequences,” according to the statement.

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The verbal sparring between religious authorities across the Muslim world provided fodder for the Israeli side, which sought to exploit the discord to its advantage. Former Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara praised the Egyptian statement, describing it as “blessed and logical,” particularly in its criticism of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

Persistent division

The continuing division within religious discourse on Gaza’s war is heavily influenced by the political stances and policies of Arab regimes toward the Palestinian resistance.

In a previous statement, Saudi preacher Maher Bin Dhafer Al-Qahtani denied that Hamas leaders were heroes or martyrs, blaming them for the bloodshed in Gaza.

Similarly, Kuwaiti cleric Othman Al-Khamees called Hamas “a deviant political faction that has taken a misguided partisan path.”

In Egypt, the spokesperson for the Salafi Da’wah, Engineer Abdel Moneim El-Shahat, called on Dr. Mohamed El-Sagheer, a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, to go himself to fight in jihad against the Jews by passing through Syria to reach Palestine.

In a rare and direct rejection of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, Dr. Salman Al-Daya, former dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the Islamic University of Gaza, said in November: “If the pillars, causes, or conditions of jihad are not met, it must be avoided to prevent unnecessary loss of life. This is something our politicians can easily assess, and the attack should have been avoided.” His statement was widely seen as public criticism of Hamas.

In contrast, Oman’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamad Al-Khalili, condemned fatwas prohibiting Palestinian resistance against Israel, reminding that “Zionist Jews are the most hostile to believers,” as evident in their violations of Islamic sanctities, occupation of Muslim lands, and aggression against Muslim men and women.

Egyptian legal scholar Dr. Mohamed Selim El-Awa emphasised that “jihad is not limited to armed struggle; it is obligatory on all — whether through financial support, prayer, or advocating righteousness.” He noted that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would conceal his war plans, as confirmed by authentic traditions.

Official position

The chaos surrounding fatwas on the war in Gaza stems from the deep rift between those supporting the resistance and those opposing it. The latter group represents the official Arab position and is backed by state institutions, official religious authorities, and government-aligned preachers, according to journalist Amer Al-Masri.

Al-Masri told Middle East Monitor that clerics who issue fatwas opposing the resistance reflect the submissive stances of presidents, kings and princes. He accused them of twisting Quranic verses and sayings of the prophet to align with the views of rulers, despite the fragility of their arguments and the weakness of their evidence.

Conversely, proponents of the resistance — armed with Islamic proofs — point to the overwhelming destruction in Gaza and argue that avoiding an asymmetrical war was necessary. In this view, Hamas miscalculated the repercussions of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

An unnamed scholar from Al-Azhar told Middle East Monitor that the obligation to support Palestine and Palestinians through all possible means is indisputable. He warned against continuing to impose politicised fatwas on official religious bodies, as these only serve to polish the image of ruling regimes, mask their failure to support the Palestinian cause, pacify public sentiment, and stifle resistance — ultimately paving the way for normalisation with Israel.

In the end, the division among scholars and preachers across the Arab and Islamic worlds has revealed two major consequences of the war on Gaza, now in its second year: the persistence of fatwa chaos, and the growing politicisation of religious rulings — leaving Gazans to bear yet more abandonment and suffering.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.