Qabbani Postpones Election of Higher Islamic Council after Miqati’s Mediation
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani postponed on Tuesday the elections of the Higher Islamic Council for two months to allow for the necessary reform at Dar al-Fatwa.
Qabbani approved Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s initiative to postpone the elections that he had call for on April 22 for two months to carry out the reforms in principle and pave way for the election of a new Council this year, the National News Agency reported.
The mufti’s call led to internal divisions within the Council with some members saying that Qabbani should consult it before setting a date for the elections.
The mandate of the Council expired on Dec. 31, 2009 and has since been extended.
Media reports have said that Qabbani’s call for elections in an attempt to modernize the Council comes against the backdrop of a dispute between him and ex-Premier Saad Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal movement.
Qabbani headed on Monday an urgent meeting of Sunni religious leaders.
A statement issued after the meeting held at Dar al-Fatwa said the conferees stressed “the importance of the Islamic and national role of the Mufti … in unifying the Muslims and Lebanese.”
They also vowed to contribute to the modernization of Dar al-Fatwa.
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