Eurasian Fatwa Council was established

In the Final Declaration of the 9^th Eurasian Islamic Council held at the end of the last year was decided to establish an advisory religious body – Majlis (council) for fatwa which should seek religious decisions of common problems of the Muslims in Europe, Russia and the former Soviet republics.

Pursuant to that decision at the initiative of the Supreme Council of Religious Affairs at the Diyanet of Turkey was held a constitution assembly of the Fatwa Majlis on 10^th and 11^th of May in Ankara. This international forum was attended by representatives of the religious institutions of about twenty countries. The Muslim Denomination in the Republic of Bulgaria was represented by the Chairman of the Supreme Muslim Council Vedat S. Ahmed.

At the constitution assembly Vedat S. Ahmed highlighted the importance of the Fatwa Majlis in terms of interaction related to some religious issues in order to achieve unification in the thinking and subsequently in the actions of the /Muslims in the region. He also noted the need of joint workshops and conferences on the fatwa issues seeking consensus on sore points and popularization of the decisions of the Majlis because those who discredit Islam are very active in the popularization of their fatwa which at the same time are supported by the sensational media.

At the forum was focused on the threat of chaotic fatwas that compromise Islam as well as fatwas that are far from the reality in certain countries and regions. There was also noted that in Internet and in the social media are circulated a number of unauthentic fatwas that are issued by incompetent people.

Welcoming speeches to the constitution assembly were delivered by the Chairman of the Supreme Council on Religious Affairs of the Diyanet Dr. Ekrem Keleş, as well as by the President of the Diyanet of Turkey Prof. Mehmet Görmez who expressed his concern regarding the proper interpretation of the Qur’an and the ahadith heritage of Muhammad (pbuh). Furthermore he appealed the participants for joint efforts in order to terminate the anarchy of fatwas that lead especially the youth to extremes.

The participants in the forum adopted a constitutive act of the Fatwa Majlis, defined the main rules of work and elected a three-member managment team – a Chairman Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yaman from Turkey and deputies Dr. Enes Levakovich from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rustem Nurgaliev from the Russian Federation (Tataristan).