The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR)is a Dublin-based private foundation, founded in London on 29 March - 30 March 1997 on the initiative of the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe, the European Council for Fatwa and Research ('ECFR') is a largely self-selected body, composed by Islamic clerics and scholars, presided by Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
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The ECFR aims "to present to the Muslim World and the Muslim minorities in the West particularly" [1] its interpretation of "the manifestation of Allah's infinite mercy, knowledge and wisdom". For the ECFR, the shariah clearly embodies the superior rules in life. The sharia should therefore be respected as superior to civil law and to the democracy: "the Shari'ah cannot be amended to conform to changing human values and standards, rather, it is the absolute norm to which all human values and conduct must conform; it is the frame to which they must be referred; it is the scale on which they must be weighed." [2].
It wants to achieve these through:
The ECFR is one of the main channels for the publications of fatwa's by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Muslim scholar affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood[3] , and his main English-language channel.
Among others, it wants to promote, and control, the local education of native imam's for the Muslim minorities in European countries. Amongst others, it participates in such initiatives in France (in cooperation with the European Institute for Humanitarian and Islamic Studies) and the United Kingdom.
It also strives to become an approved religious authority before local governments and private establishments in all countries where Muslims are a minority.
According to its Mission Statement [4] the ECFR wants to assume a leading role in all dogmatic and accordingly also in all worldly issues in the worldwide Islamic community, the Ummah. Among others, it wants to address the younger Muslim generations living in outside Islamic countries, especially those in Europe and the United States. It wants to project a relatively contemporary position, all through it is heavily criticized for very undemocratic and non-contemporary positions:
On the other hand, it regularly pleads for mutual respect for non-Muslims, and for respect for civil procedures; e.g. marriage is considered valid only if the rights of both spouses are respected and if the civil procedure is followed to (any marriage which is conducted purely in the mosque is not considered Islamic).
Aside from the exclusion of non-Sunni Muslims, and more importantly, other people criticize the ECFR for its fierce refusal to accept separation of church and state as an element of democracy, as well as several principles of democracy. The fatwa's of the ECFR's chairmain, Yussuf al-Qaradawi, are clear on how this tendency in Islam sees democracy and universal human rights:
Also, in August 2005, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Council had used the infamous anti-Semitic forgery known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in its theological deliberations. The Journal also reported that "the council is part of a web of organizations that spread ideology close to the Muslim Brotherhood throughout Europe."[8]
Half of the members are from the European continent and half are from the Arabian Peninsula, Northern Africa or Northern America. This is a breach of the internal rules of the ECFR, as members not residing in Europe "must not constitute more than 25% of the total members of the Council at any one time."[4]
The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) is a Dublin-based private foundation, founded in London on 29 March - 30 March 1997 on the initiative of the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe. The Council is a largely self-selected body, composed of Islamic clerics and scholars, presided over by Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
Contents |
The ECFR aims "to present to the Muslim World and the Muslim minorities in the West particularly" [1] its interpretation of "the manifestation of Allah's infinite mercy, knowledge and wisdom". For the ECFR, the shariah clearly embodies the superior rules in life. The sharia should therefore be respected as superior to civil law and to the democracy: "the Shari'ah cannot be amended to conform to changing human values and standards, rather, it is the absolute norm to which all human values and conduct must conform; it is the frame to which they must be referred; it is the scale on which they must be weighed." [2].
It wants to achieve these through:
The ECFR is one of the main channels for the publications of fatwa's by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Muslim scholar affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood[3] , and his main English-language channel.
Among others, it wants to promote, and control, the local education of native imam's for the Muslim minorities in European countries. Amongst others, it participates in such initiatives in France (in cooperation with the European Institute for Humanitarian and Islamic Studies) and the United Kingdom.
It also strives to become an approved religious authority before local governments and private establishments in all countries where Muslims are a minority.
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According to its Mission Statement [4] the ECFR wants to assume a leading role in all dogmatic and accordingly also in all worldly issues in the worldwide Islamic community, the Ummah.[citation needed] Among others, it wants to address the younger Muslim generations living in outside Islamic countries, especially those in Europe and the United States.[citation needed] It wants to project a relatively contemporary position, all through it is heavily criticized for very undemocratic and non-contemporary positions[citation needed]:
On the other hand, it regularly pleads for mutual respect for non-Muslims, and for respect for civil procedures; e.g. marriage is considered valid only if the rights of both spouses are respected and if the civil procedure is followed to (any marriage which is conducted purely in the mosque is not considered Islamic).[citation needed]
Aside from the exclusion of non-Sunni Muslims, and more importantly, other people criticize the ECFR for its fierce refusal to accept separation of church and state as an element of democracy, as well as several principles of democracy. The fatwa's of the ECFR's chairmain, Yussuf al-Qaradawi, are clear on how this tendency in Islam sees democracy and universal human rights:
Also, in August 2005, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Council had used the infamous anti-Semitic forgery known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in its theological deliberations. The Journal also reported that "the council is part of a web of organizations that spread ideology close to the Muslim Brotherhood throughout Europe."[8]
Half of the members are from the European continent and half are from the Arabian Peninsula, Northern Africa or Northern America. This is a breach of the internal rules of the ECFR, as members not residing in Europe "must not constitute more than 25% of the total members of the Council at any one time."[4]
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