Syrian Islamic Council and Affiliated Bodies Dissolved Following Government Request

Syrian Islamic Council and Affiliated Bodies Dissolved Following Government Request
————————-
The Syrian Islamic Council announced Saturday its dissolution, along with all affiliated institutions, including the Syrian Ifta Council and the Syrian Qurraa Council, Enabbaladi.net reported. The decision came in response to a request from the Syrian government after the country’s liberation from the Assad regime.

The council, established in April 2014 by around 40 religious bodies and scholars, aimed to unify religious guidance and provide solutions amid the absence of state institutions in liberated areas. It represented thousands of preachers and scholars, primarily based in northern Syria, Turkey, and abroad.

Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, who headed the council, was elected Grand Mufti of Syria in November 2021, following the abolition of the previous regime’s Grand Mufti position. In March 2025, the Syrian transitional president formed a Supreme Ifta Council, also led by al-Rifai, tasked with issuing fatwas and supervising religious affairs nationwide.

The council’s dissolution marks a significant shift in Syria’s religious institutional landscape as the state reasserts control.