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| International Union of Muslim Scholars | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Union of Muslim Scholars |
| Formation | 2004 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Location | Doha, Qatar (claimed) |
| Headquarters | Doha |
| Leader title | President |
International Union of Muslim Scholars is an international organization of Sunni Muslim clerics and scholars that brings together religious figures from across the Muslim world to address jurisprudential, political, and social issues. Founded in 2004, it purports to provide scholarly guidance on matters related to Islamic jurisprudence, Sharia-related questions, and contemporary crises involving Muslim communities. The body has been associated with prominent personalities and institutions from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond, often intersecting with political movements, academic centers, and religious networks.
The establishment of the organization in 2004 followed discussions among scholars linked to networks associated with figures such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who played a leading role, alongside participants connected to institutions like Al-Azhar University, Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah, and Jamia Millia Islamia. Early meetings included representatives from countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The Union convened conferences that attracted leaders from entities such as Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), Hamas, Hezbollah, Algerian Islamic Salvation Front, and scholars affiliated with Al-Quds University and Al-Mustafa International University. Over time, the group's activities intersected with regional crises involving Iraq War (2003–2011), Syrian Civil War, Libyan Civil War, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, shaping its public pronouncements and alliances.
The Union's leadership has featured clerics recognized across networks linked to The Muslim World League, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and independent madrasa and seminary systems such as Deobandi movement, Barelvi movement, and scholars from Aligarh Muslim University. Presidents and senior members have been publicly associated with figures tied to Qatar and institutions like Doha Debates and think tanks connected to Gulf Cooperation Council dynamics. The Union's secretariat and coordination have often involved collaboration with academic centers including London School of Economics-linked researchers, regional offices akin to Islamic University of Medina outreach, and local fatwa councils similar to Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah and Darul Uloom Deoband organs.
Membership has encompassed grand muftis, professors, and clerics from institutions such as Al-Azhar University, Darul Uloom Deoband, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia, University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi, Islamic University of Madinah, and organizations like International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe, Council on American–Islamic Relations, Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America, and national ulema councils from Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, and Nigeria. The Union has listed or worked with names tied to movements including Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), Ennahda Movement, AKP (Turkey), Jamaat-e-Islami (Pakistan), and Islamic Circle of North America. Affiliations extended to scholars who had taught at or been associated with University of Karachi, Ain Shams University, Cairo University, Istanbul University, and research centers like Stockholm International Peace Research Institute researchers who study religious movements.
The Union articulates positions on contemporary issues drawing on jurisprudence schools linked to Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali traditions and references to texts associated with figures such as Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam al-Shafi'i, and Imam Malik. Public pronouncements have addressed topics related to Palestine and Gaza Strip, resistance movements including Hamas and Hezbollah, uprisings like the Arab Spring, and interventions by states such as United States, France, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The Union has issued fatwas and statements on matters involving jihad debates, humanitarian responses to crises in Syria and Yemen, and guidance on interfaith issues referencing dialogues with institutions like Vatican, World Council of Churches, and Sunni–Shia relations interlocutors such as representatives from Najaf and Qom seminaries.
Activities have included international conferences, fatwa coordination, charitable appeals, and educational outreach in partnership with organizations like Islamic Relief Worldwide, Red Crescent, Islamic Development Bank, and regional charities from Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey. The Union organized seminars involving academics from Al-Azhar University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Georgetown University, SOAS University of London, and policy dialogues with representatives of bodies such as United Nations, European Union, and African Union. Initiatives sometimes involved publishing position papers on conflicts in Iraq, Libya, and Palestine and issuing theological rulings purported to guide diasporic communities in Europe, North America, and Australia.
The Union has faced criticism and allegations linking it to political movements and to financing networks alleged by some states to support armed groups, drawing scrutiny from governments in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Critics cited connections to personalities associated with Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), and accused some members of endorsing militant groups, provoking condemnations from institutions like Al-Azhar University and national clerical bodies in Morocco and Jordan. Several countries designated associated individuals or organizations as linked to terrorism in lists maintained by entities such as United States Department of State and European Union counter-terrorism units, prompting debates involving Interpol, United Nations Security Council, and legal actions in courts of France and Belgium. Supporters argued the Union was a scholarly body addressing persecution and occupation, citing statements on Palestine and appeals during the Syrian Civil War.
The Union's relations with states have been complex: it received support or hosting from actors like Qatar while being criticized or banned in states such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Its influence extended into transnational religious networks affecting policy debates in Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and among diaspora communities in United Kingdom, France, Germany, United States, Canada, and Netherlands. Interactions with international institutions included exchanges with United Nations agencies, and engagement with regional bodies such as Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The Union's statements often intersected with geopolitical disputes involving Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflicts, Gulf diplomatic crisis (2017–2021), and the global counterterrorism architecture centered on Financial Action Task Force and multilateral sanctions regimes.
Category:Islamic organizations