Mahdi Al-Sumaidaie Explained

Religion:Islam
Denomination:Sunni
Post:Grand Mufti of Iraq
Mahdi ibn Ahmad al-Sumaidaie
Institute:Mustansiriya University
Term Start1:February 2014
Native Name:مهدي الصميدعي
Nationality:Iraqi Arab
Honorific Prefix:Grand Mufti

Mahdi ibn Ahmed Al-Sumaidaie is the Grand Mufti of Iraq. He runs the Sunni Fatwa Council in Baghdad, at the Umm-al-Tubul mosque.[1]

Since 2014 he has been recognized by the government of Nuri al-Maliki as Grand Mufti of the Sunnis of Iraq, the highest Iraqi Sunni religious authority.[2]

He played an important political role in the events of Iraq, in an attempt to involve part of Salafi Islam in the fight against the Islamic State, alongside the Shiite forces.[3] Despite this, he has close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.[4] [5] [6] [7] His role as mufti, however, is contested by some Iraqi Sunnis. The juridical council of the ulama is represented by Sheikh Abdul Waha al-Samarrai.[8]

Biography

Religious activities

During the American occupation of Iraq, Sheikh Sumaidaie led an armed group, supporting the jihad against the occupation forces.[9] In January 2004, he was arrested by American troops as he exited the mosque in Baghdad after a prayer.[10] [11] Later released, he played a mediating role between the government and Salafist resistance.[12] Following the withdrawal of American troops in December 2011, Sumaidaie was co-opted by the government of Nuri al-Maliki to persuade Salafist Sunni preachers to participate in a unified legal council with the Shiites. The attempt, during a conference on the Iraqi resistance in February 2012, was not successful, moreover, due to his support for the Shiite government Sumaidaie suffered an attempted attack in August 2012.

Grand mufti

In February 2014 Sheikh Sumaidaie is recognized by the government of Nuri al-Maliki as a stranger to the Sunni uprising;[13] the Iraqi government recognized him as the leader of a Sunni Fatwa Council (Dar al-Iftaa Ahl al-Sunna wa Jamaah) in the place of Grand Mufti of the Sunnis, with the aim of involving Sunni citizens in the fight against ISIS alongside the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces.[14]

Declarations and fatwaas

References

  1. Web site: 2015-07-17 . Monday to be 1st Day of Eid Fitr, announces Ifta House . 2022-06-28 . Iraqi News . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2014-07-27 . URGENT: Sunni Grand Mufti of Iraq, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Sumaidaie declares tomorrow as 1st day of Eid al-Fitr . 2022-06-28 . Iraqi News . en-US.
  3. Web site: Sheikh Mehdi al-Sumaidaie, Iraqi Sunni Grand Mufti, attends the... . 2022-06-28 . Getty Images . de.
  4. Web site: Iraq-Iran: generale Soleimani ricevuto a Baghdad dal Gran muftì dei sunniti al Sumaida'i . 2022-06-28 . Agenzia Nova . it.
  5. Web site: 2018-12-16 . Spotlight on Iran (December 2, 2018 – December 16, 2018) . 2022-06-28 . The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center . en.
  6. Web site: 2019-02-20 . Iraq Sheikh al-Bayati Denounces the Cooperation of Some Arab and Islamic Countries with the US unews . 2022-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063002/https://www.u-news.net/en/news/50/12638/Iraq-%7C-Sheikh-al-Bayati-Denounces-the-Cooperation-of-Some-Arab-and-Islamic-Countries-with-the-US.htm . 2019-02-20 .
  7. Web site: 2019-02-20 . Iraq Sheikh al-Bayati: All Muslims Should Stand with Iran and Turkey to Defeat the American Blockade unews . 2022-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063319/https://www.u-news.net/en/news/50/12639/Iraq-%7C-Sheikh-al-Bayati-All-Muslims-Should-Stand-with-Iran-and-Turkey-to-Defeat-the-American-Blockade.htm . 2019-02-20 .
  8. Web site: Iraq's Religious Leaders Join Hands to Promote Peaceful Coexistence – Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) . 2022-06-28 . en-US.
  9. Web site: 2019-01-19 . new religious authority brings sects and terror groups together Niqash . 2022-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190119174207/http://www.niqash.org/en/articles/politics/2983/ . 2019-01-19 .
  10. News: Burns . John F. . 2004-01-03 . U.S. Soldier Is Killed as Helicopter Is Shot Down in Iraq . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-06-28 . 0362-4331.
  11. News: Ghazi . Yasir . Santora . Marc . 2012-08-19 . Bomb Wounds Iraqi Sunni Cleric Who Urged Cooperation With Shiites . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-06-28 . 0362-4331.
  12. Web site: Corriere della Sera – "I raid Usa non aiutano la causa degli ostaggi" . 2022-06-28 . www.corriere.it.
  13. Web site: 2014-02-04 . MoI denies news reported about Sheikh Mahdi Sumaydai . 2022-06-28 . Iraqi News . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2019-01-19 . The Sunnah in Iraq Reality and Future – Strategic Fiker Center For Studies . 2022-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121425/http://fikercenter.com/en/political-analysis/the-sunnah-in-iraq . 2019-01-19 .
  15. Web site: Baghdad . Alaa Hussein in . Fallujah offensive unites Iraqis against ISIL . 2022-06-28 . Diyaruna . en-GB.
  16. Web site: 2019-01-19 . Car bomb blast targets mosque in Baghdad; Sunni scholar survives – Iraq News – Local News – Baghdadpost . 2022-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121705/https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/4625/Car-bomb-blast-targets-mosque-in-Baghdad-Sunni-scholar-survives . 2019-01-19 .
  17. Web site: 2019-02-20 . Sunni Iraqi Religious Authority Fends Off Accusations of Sunni Collaboration with ISIS, States: We Will Fight on the Golan to "Liberate Palestine from the Claws of the Jews" MEMRI TV . 2022-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063340/https://www.memri.org/tv/sunni-iraqi-religious-authority-fends-accusations-sunni-collaboration-isis-states-we-will-fight/transcript . 2019-02-20 .
  18. Web site: Iraq's Grand Sunni Mufti calls for unifying Iraq and the public opinion from Imam Hussein Holy Shrine . 2022-06-28 . im.imamhussain.org.
  19. Web site: University . Mustansiriyah . Visit . 2022-06-28 . Mustansiriyah University . en.
  20. Web site: 2019-01-03 . Irak: "Fatwa" von Großmufti gegen das Weihnachtsfest . 2022-06-28 . religion.ORF.at . de.
  21. Web site: kurdistan 24 . Iraqi Sunni leader calls on Baghdad to ban alcohol sales . 2022-06-28 . Iraq News Today . en.
  22. Register. limited. iraqliveupdate. 1213847908975599616 . 2022-06-28. en.