CAIRO (Realist English). Egypt’s Grand Mufti Nazier Ayad has strongly rejected a recent fatwa issued by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) urging Muslims to launch jihad against Israel. In comments reported by Al Jazeera, Ayad described the statement as “irresponsible” and contrary to the principles of Islamic law.
The IUMS, a Qatar-based religious body, issued a fatwa on Friday calling on Muslims “to immediately begin jihad” and urged Islamic governments to take “military, political, and economic action” to stop what it described as a “genocide” in Gaza. The union’s secretary-general, Ali al-Qaradaghi, accused Muslim states of committing a “grave crime” by remaining passive in the face of Israeli military operations.
In response, Ayad emphasized that “declaring jihad is the exclusive right of legitimate state authorities,” not of religious organizations lacking legal authority. He warned that such fatwas risk causing “devastation, displacement, and disaster for the Palestinians themselves,” and urged for support to Gaza to be “wise, calibrated, and free from adventurist agendas.”
Founded in 2004 in Qatar, the IUMS is a non-governmental religious association that does not hold official recognition from key Muslim-majority countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
One of Egypt’s prominent Salafi figures, Yasser Burhami, also condemned the fatwa, calling it “unrealistic.” A vocal supporter of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Burhami pointed to Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel as a binding national commitment.
Still, Qaradaghi remains an influential figure among parts of the Sunni community. His call was endorsed by 14 other religious leaders who demanded the review of peace accords with Israel and diplomatic pressure on Donald Trump, accusing the former U.S. president of enabling Israeli aggression.
According to human rights groups, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. The International Court of Justice is reviewing genocide allegations, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Gaza conflict has become a flashpoint for religious and political mobilization. Fatwas calling for jihad—if issued without coordination with state institutions—serve less to protect civilians than to escalate tensions. Such declarations risk further destabilizing the region under the guise of solidarity.
