Advisor to the Mufti of the Republic: Dar Al-Iftaa paid great attention to activating its media presence
Dr. Ibrahim Najm, General Advisor to the Mufti of the Republic, and Secretary-General of Fatwa Houses and Bodies in the World, gave a lecture entitled “Fatwa and the Media: Challenges of the Relationship and Ways of Cooperation,” as part of the training program organized by the Egyptian Fatwa House for a number of scholars from Malaysian Fatwa Houses, university academics, and representatives of the Malaysian Islamic Affairs Development Office.
At the beginning In the lecture, Dr. Najm explained that the relationship between the fatwa and the media has witnessed radical transformations in recent decades, stressing that the fatwa is no longer local as in the past, but has become global in spread due to technical and media development, which has made it face new challenges related to uncontrolled circulation, erroneous interpretations, and sometimes deliberate media misinformation.
He pointed out that the media The media, of all kinds, today has a tremendous ability to influence the formation of people’s awareness, and therefore the responsibility placed on religious institutions and scholars is double, as they must interact consciously with the media, and present rational religious discourse in a language capable of reaching people without negligence or extremism.
Dr. Najm stressed that some media outlets – In good faith or in bad faith – It contributed to distorting the image of the fatwa among international public opinion, pointing out that the term "Fatwa" In the minds of many in the West, it has become associated with sanctions or violence due to incorrect media coverage. He gave an example of the fake fatwas attributed by some international media outlets, such as “the fatwa on eating women’s flesh during famine”, explaining that it is a fabricated story with no basis, and that its circulation has harmed the image of religious institutions. Because of its complexity, it is a well-established scientific work that has its own controls and people, and is not a subject for satire or media controversy.”
He added that the Egyptian Fatwa House paid great attention to activating its media presence, realizing the danger of leaving the field empty and blocking the way for the unqualified, noting that the house launched an integrated system of pages. And the official platforms on social networking sites in several languages, in addition to producing visual and audio materials aimed at confronting extremist ideology and spreading correct awareness.
He explained that the media, traditional and digital, can be a tool of construction or demolition, depending on how it is used, stressing that cooperation between scholars and media professionals is necessary to protect society from fatwa chaos and Attempts to exploit religion for political or extremist purposes.
Dr. Ibrahim Negm called for training muftis and scholars in communication and media skills, considering that issuing fatwas in the modern era is inseparable from understanding communication tools and being aware of the nature of the audience and the diversity of its platforms. He said: "The contemporary mufti must be aware of the changing nature of the media, and realize A single word may reach millions of people in seconds, and therefore it must be based on solid knowledge and full responsibility.”
The Secretary-General of the role and fatwa bodies in the world concluded his lecture by emphasizing that the media is an essential partner in correcting religious concepts and confronting abnormal fatwas, stressing that the absence of scholars from media platforms leaves the arena empty. In front of extremists, he added: “When qualified scholars speak in the language of the times, with wisdom and honesty, they contribute to building awareness and protecting minds from deviation, and this is a collective responsibility that we all must fulfill.”
