Al-Sharaa appoints Osama al-Rifai as the new Grand Mufti of Syria

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced on Friday the appointment of Sheikh Osama al-Rifai as the country's Grand Mufti.

This came in a speech during a conference to form the Supreme Fatwa Council and appoint the Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic, according to the country's official news agency, SANA.

Al-Sharaa said, "Today, we all strive to rebuild Syria with its cadres, scholars, and people."

He added, "The responsibility of the fatwa, its integrity, and its role in building the new state are well known, especially after the fatwa office was subjected to encroachment by those who are not qualified and confronted by those who are not qualified."

Al-Sharaa continued, "It was incumbent upon us to restore to Syria what the fallen regime had destroyed in all areas, the most important of which is the restoration of the position of Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic."

He added, "Today, this position is held by one of the finest scholars of the Levant, the virtuous Sheikh Osama bin Abdul Karim al-Rifai, may God protect him."

He pointed out that "the fatwa should become a collective responsibility through the formation of a Supreme Fatwa Council, through which fatwas are issued, after exerting all possible efforts in research and investigation, as fatwas are a great trust and a signature from God Almighty."

He pointed out that "the Fatwa Council will seek to regulate moderate religious discourse, combining authenticity and modernity, while preserving identity, resolving disputes that lead to division, and closing the door to evil and disagreement."

In this regard, the Syrian presidency published, via its X account, the Sharia decision appointing the country's Fatwa Council, headed by Al-Rifai, with 14 other members.

The presidential decision defined the council's duties as "issuing fatwas on new developments, incidents, and general issues; stating Sharia rulings on cases referred to it; appointing muftis and fatwa committees in the governorates and defining their jurisdiction; supervising fatwa centers and providing support and advice."

Al-Rifai's appointment comes a day after reports circulated that the former regime's Grand Mufti, Ahmed Hassoun, was arrested while attempting to leave the country via Damascus Airport.

Al-Rifai, 81, is a Syrian scholar, preacher, and Shafi'i jurist. He was elected Grand Mufti by the Syrian opposition. He is also the head of the Syrian Islamic Council and the head of the League of Levant Scholars.

Osama is the son of the late scholar Abdul Karim al-Rifai and the brother of preacher Saria al-Rifai, who died last January.

Osama was forced to leave Syria due to his stance against the revolution in his country and the beatings and attempted murders he received at the hands of members of the ousted regime in 2011. He then moved to Istanbul, only to return to his homeland after the regime was overthrown.

On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions took control of the country, ending 61 years of Ba'ath Party rule and 53 years of Assad family rule.

On January 29, the new administration announced the appointment of al-Sharaa as President of Syria for the transitional period. The new administration also dissolved armed factions, security services, the People's Assembly (parliament), the Ba'ath Party, and the constitution.