Sectarianism sweeps through Libya as eastern government slams Amazigh’s Islamic doctrine as heretic

BY Libyan Express Jul 12, 2017 - 11:13 Updated: Jul 12, 2017 - 11:30

The fatwa said Ibadis are infidels and other Muslims shall not pray behind their imams in any mosque

As early as last week, the Supreme Awaqaf Committee for religious affairs at the eastern government of Abdullah Al-Thinni – part of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives – issued a fatwa that said Ibadis (Muslims following a different doctrine from Sunnis and Shiites) are infidels and other Muslims shall not pray behind their imams in any mosque.

On an overt sense, the fatwa looked a bit disturbing regarding breaking the unity of the Libyan society on the religious level, but on a covert sense, the eastern government was trying to isolate and threaten the existence of the Libyan Amazigh, who are part and parcel of the Libyan society since the beginning of time.

Why Libya’s Amazigh? Simply because the Amazigh people are all followers of Ibadism in Libya and they are the only ones who are Ibadis, so the fatwa of the eastern government was meant to threaten the existence of the minority social component in Libya, which is the Amazigh, according to the Libyan Amazigh Supreme Council.

On Facebook on Tuesday, the council said the eastern government’s fatwa was aimed at committing a genocide against Libya’s Amazigh and it was a blatant violation of international conventions as it established for conflict among Libyans based on religious sects this time.

“We call on all Libyans not to turn their attention to such fatwas as they are totally biased and racial as well as sectarian.” The statement of the Libyan Amazigh Supreme Council added.

Ibadism is an Islamic sect that is practiced mainly in Oman and has some followers in north African countries like Libya, Algeria and others.

Meanwhile, the fatwa of the eastern government was contested by a member of the Tripoli fatwa house and the Islamic research and studies council, Sami Al-Saadi, who said the fatwa is disastrous and can plunge Libya into a sectarian war after the wars for power, money, regions end.

Tripoli’s fatwa house previously said that praying behind an Ibadi imam is right according to religion and they are far from infidels.

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