The Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibah sent a letter to the Head of the Endowments and Islamic Affairs Authority (Awqaf Authority) in his government, Mohammed Al-Abani, regarding Muslim Ibadis.
Dbeibah said in his letter that what was published by the Awqaf Authority had been a matter that provoked strife among Libyans and violated the authority’s jurisdiction. He warned the authority against exceeding its powers specified by the decision of the Government of National Accord in 2019 regarding organizing the work of the Endowments Authority, and asked it to take deterrent and urgent measures against those who committed these actions from the relevant departments. Dbeibah has stressed that he may have to take deterrent and decisive measures if such acts are repeated.
On Friday, a number of municipalities in Nafusa Mountain region announced the closure of the offices of the Awqaf Authority in protest of the authority’s publication about the illegitimacy of their doctrine (Ibadism).
Statements issued by the people of the municipalities of Kabau, Nalut, Yafran, Jadu, and Tandemira denounced the authority’s statement regarding the rejection of Shahada by Muslim Ibadis. They also denounced what they described as attacks on the sheikhs of the doctrine, and demanded the creation of an Ibadi Endowments Authority that reports directly to the Prime Minister.
In a statement issued last Wednesday, the Supreme Council of Ibadism called on the government to take urgent measures to dissolve the Awqaf Authority and rebuild it in a way that ensures respect for the Constitutional Declaration and the authority’s representation of all Islamic doctrines in Libyan society.
Commenting on the issue, the Libyan Mufti, Sheikh Al-Sadiq Al-Gharyani, said that provoking such strife is a malicious international intelligence work.
