Ibrahim Zeid Keilani Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Sheikh
Ibrahim Zeid Keilani
Office:Member of the House of Representatives
Term Start:1993
Term End:1997
Office2:Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs
Term Start2:1990 or January 1991
Term End2:?
Primeminister2:Mudar Badran
Birth Date:1937
Birth Place:As-Salt, Transjordan
Death Date:2 April
Nationality:Jordanian
Party:Islamic Action Front
Otherparty:Muslim Brotherhood
Alma Mater:University of Baghdad
Damascus University
Al-Azhar University

Sheikh Ibrahim Zeid Keilani (1937 – 2 April 2013) was a Jordanian Muslim cleric and politician. He served as the minister of awqaf and Islamic affairs in 1990 and served as a member of Jordan's House of Representatives between 1993 and 1997.[1] He was a member of the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, and served on the party's Sharia Ulema Committee. He was described as an Islamist.[2]

Early life

Keilani was born in As-Salt in 1937.[1] Keilani studied Islamic Studies at the University of Baghdad and Damascus University. He then earned his MA and Ph.D. at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.[1]

Career and religious views

During the 1970s Keilani hosted a television show, the show was important in creating support for the first Islamic bank of the country. The main proposer of the Jordan Islamic Bank, Sami Hamoud, featured on four episodes to discuss Islamic banking. Keilani later served on the Fatwa Committee of the Preparatory Committee of the bank.[3]

Keilani was appointed as Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs either in 1990[1] or January 1991.[4] During the Gulf War, while he was the minister, Keilani supported Saddam Hussein. He condemned the United States and the Arab states that fought against Iraq in the war, saying that they were treacherous for fighting against the "army of Iraq, which is the army of Islam".[4] At the same time he also supported the Palestinian cause, saying that Jerusalem belonged to the Palestinians.[4]

After his term of minister, Keilani served in the House of Representatives of 12th Parliament of Jordan, which was in place from 1993 to 1997.[1] In the parliamentary year 1996–1997 he served as chair of the law committee.[5]

Islamic Action Front

In 2000, the Jordanian government tried to introduce Saturday as a second rest-day of the week. Keilani, as leader of the Islamic Action Front's Sharia Ulema Committee opposed this. Keilani said that Saturday was the day off of Jordan's enemy, Israel, and that by implementing the measure the Jordanian government would be acting treacherously.[6] As leader of the committee Keilani defended the practice of honor killings.[7] During the celebration of the Jordanian Independence Day on 25 May 2001 the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood boycotted the official celebrations for the first time. Instead, they launched protests in which they voiced their support for Palestine and protest against Jordanian ties with Israel. Keilani was one of the main speakers during the protests.[8]

In 2004 members and leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood were involved in leading sermons and teaching in mosques while having no authorization to do so by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. Several members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested, while others were summoned to talk to security officials. Keilani was injured after a row with security men and had to go to hospital.[9]

Jordan had implemented the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 2007. Keilani criticized the government for doing so, saying that the treaty was "a dangerous agreement that effects the rights of citizens as well as the nation's identity and values". He accused the treaty as an effort to distance people from religion and as an effort to destroy the Muslim family.[2]

In 2008, Keilani disagreed with top Saudi Islamic cleric, Saleh al-Lihedan, who issued a fatwa making it permissible to kill owners and employees of television stations which showed immoral content. Although Keilani agreed with al-Lihedan that some of the content was immoral to Islamic standards, he feared that the fatwa would bring unrest to countries. He said that governments were responsible for dealing with the television channels.[10]

In 2010 Keilani ordered a ban on the increasing tourism to Jerusalem, a holy city for Muslims. He said that the religious tourism normalized relations between Arab states and Israel.[11]

Death

Keilani died on 2 April 2013, aged 76.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Former awqaf minister Keilani passes away at 76. The Jordan Times. 2 April 2013. 21 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116045521/http://jordantimes.com/former-awqaf-minister-keilani-passes-away-at-76. 16 November 2014. dmy-all.
  2. Book: Catherine Warrick. Law in the Service of Legitimacy: Gender and Politics in Jordan. 1 January 2009. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. 978-0-7546-7587-7. 157.
  3. Book: Clement M. Henry. Rodney Wilson. The Politics of Islamic Finance. 2004. Edinburgh University Press. 978-0-7486-1837-8. 193.
  4. Web site: Saddam verloren? Dat kan niet!. Dutch. Reformatorisch Dagblad. 12 March 1991. 21 October 2013.
  5. Book: Russell E. Lucas. Institutions and the Politics of Survival in Jordan: Domestic Responses to External Challenges, 1988-2001. 1 June 2006. SUNY Press. 978-0-7914-6446-5. 183.
  6. Web site: Jordanian Islamists Outraged over Saturday Day Off. Al Bawaba. 1 February 2000. 21 October 2013.
  7. Yotam Feldner. "Honor" Murders – Why the Perps Get off Easy. The Middle East Quarterly . 41–50. December 2000 . 21 October 2013.
  8. Web site: Brotherhood on the move in Jordan. Al Ahram Weekly. 31 May – 6 June 2001. 536. 21 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131023061629/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/536/re3.htm. 23 October 2013. dmy-all.
  9. Web site: Jordan detains Muslim Brothers leadership banning them from sermons. Arabic News. 11 September 2004. 21 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131023112144/http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040911/2004091111.html. 23 October 2013. dmy-all.
  10. Web site: Arabs Denounce Cleric's Edict to Kill Satellite TV Station Owners. FoxNews. 19 September 2008 . 22 October 2013.
  11. Web site: Ksenia Svetlova. The forbidden city. The Jerusalem Post. 20 August 2010. 21 October 2013.