Cairo: Egypt's Grand Mufti, Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayyad, announced a series of recommendations adopted by the 11th International Conference of Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta. These recommendations emerged from thorough deliberations and extensive discussions, drawing on scholarly insights presented in the conference research papers.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the conference's first recommendation underscores the necessity of protecting Palestinian families from threats such as killing, displacement, and forced removal from their homes. This protection is framed not as temporary humanitarian relief but as an urgent humanitarian, moral, and religious responsibility requiring immediate action. The conference calls for international efforts to support relief, recovery, and reconstruction, emphasizing the dignity and identity of Palestinian families. It reiterates Egypt's rejection of forced displacement or liquidation of the Palestinian cause, advocating for a just and lasting peace to secure Palestinian rights.
The second recommendation proposes the establishment of an institutional framework for early warning and foresight. This framework would monitor emerging social, technological, economic, and value-related challenges, utilizing field research and data to guide fatwas and family policies.
The third recommendation focuses on protecting families in the digital environment, particularly the younger demographic, from risks such as virtual relationship apps, compulsive gaming, and misleading online content. It advocates for responsible digital upbringing and privacy protection.
Preparatory programs for prospective couples and counseling for early marriage years form the fourth recommendation. These programs would blend religious, psychological, social, and economic knowledge with practical skills in communication and conflict management.
Revitalizing Islamic endowments (waqf) is the focus of the fifth recommendation, aiming to ease financial burdens that hinder family formation. It suggests linking waqf, zakat, and charitable giving to sustainable programs that empower families.
The sixth recommendation encourages families to preserve their identity, passing on faith, values, and cultural memory to future generations while maintaining openness to the world.
The seventh recommendation warns against redefining family structures in ways that conflict with human nature and established religious principles, emphasizing the importance of traditional family units.
Addressing the influence of unrealistic beauty standards promoted online, the eighth recommendation calls for fatwa guidance and public awareness to promote body respect and distinguish between necessary medical procedures and those driven by consumerism.
Continuous investment in the training of muftis and family counselors is the ninth recommendation, broadening their understanding of societal transformations and the implications of artificial intelligence.
Finally, the tenth recommendation calls for strengthened cooperation among fatwa authorities worldwide to address emerging family-related issues, facilitating research exchange and expanding collective ijtihad.