Syria: the post of Grand Mufti abolished by a decree of Bashar al-Assad

Archive: in the center, Bashar al-Assad with on the right in the photo Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, praying in a mosque to mark the birth of the prophet Muhammad, in Damascus in 2007, a few years before the start of the war.

AFP

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The post of Grand Mufti of Syria, who represents the highest Sunni Muslim authority, has been abolished by a decree of President Bashar al-Assad, according to the official Sana news agency.

The move comes after years of efforts by the government to expand its oversight over religious affairs.

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With our correspondent in the region,

Paul Khalifeh

President Bashar al-Assad's decision is all the more surprising given that Mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, who had held this post since 2004, was a staunch supporter of power.

An excellent orator, this 72-year-old ulema was a staunch opponent of extremist Islamist movements, and unreservedly supported the regime throughout the war.

Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, however, made a mistake that is difficult to defend, even for power.

He offered a personal interpretation of a verse from the Quran at the funeral of famous singer Sabah Fakhri in early November.

This misstep caused a real outcry in certain religious and popular circles.

It is in this context that we must place the abolition of the post of mufti.

Its prerogatives fell to a committee of experts of 42 members, headed by the Minister of the Waqf in charge of the management of religious affairs.

But the latter, Abdel Sattar al-Sayyed, who is also a sheikh although he is often in civilian clothes, was a great rival of Mufti Hassoun.

This struggle for influence has allowed the power to tighten its grip on the Sunni religious establishment, to better supervise the preachers and imams of mosques.

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  • Syria

  • Religion

  • Bashar al-Assad

  • Islam