Muslim factions warring over Hilaly’s naming as Grand Mufti
AUSTRALIA’S Muslim community has gone to war over the naming of controversial cleric Sheik Taj El-Din Hilaly as Grand Mufti - a move some factions have slammed as “void and unjustified”.
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IT’S the question dividing Muslim Australia: Just who is the country’s top Islamic cleric?
Controversial Sheik Taj El-Din Hilaly, who once likened “immodestly dressed” women to pieces of meat, has been reappointed as Grand Mufti 11 years after stepping down.
But that comes as news to acting Grand Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad.
When asked yesterday by The Sunday Telegraph who the Grand Mufti is, he replied: “Ibrahim Abu Mohammad.”
The split exposes a bitter feud among the two leading Islamic factions — the Australian National Imams Council and the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils — following the death of former Grand Mufti Abdul Azeem al-Afifi in July.
Each faction claims they alone have the right to appoint the Grand Mufti.
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Dr Abu Mohammad had previously held the position for six years, after which he was required to stand down for 12 months before running again.
Muslim community sources claim Dr al-Afifi, who was suffering from terminal cancer, was only appointed to allow Dr Abu Mohammad to be reinstated after his death.
However, on Friday, Sheik Hilaly was anointed as Grand Mufti by Queensland’s long-serving Imam Abdul Taub Raza at Logan Mosque in Brisbane in front of fellow imams and a large crowd of community leaders and worshippers from AFIC.
Sheik Hilaly was the first person to serve as Australia’s Grand Mufti after AFIC, an association of community groups, local leaders and Muslim organisations, created the position in 1988.
However, in recent years ANIC, made up of Islamic scholars, have tried to usurp AFIC’s grasp on who appoints the Grand Mufti.
Dr Abu Mohamed said Sheik Hilaly’s appointment was invalid and the only authority that could appoint the Grand Mufti was the Australian National Imams Council.
He said: “They have no authority to appoint anyone.”
Australian International Islamic College chairman Imam Abdul Quddoos, who was at the Logan Mosque ceremony, said Hilaly’s appointment would be finalised after a meeting of imams in Sydney next week.
Asked why Hilaly was being reinstated as Grand Mufti, Imam Quddoos said: “Because he is the most capable person in Australia.”
His appointment came a day after Hilaly reposted on social media a call he made in 2016 for the position of Grand Mufti to be terminated.
He wrote: “The position was established through the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils to defend Islam and Muslims.
“This title has now become a stepping stone for every fallen person. I call upon the powers of AFIC to issue a resolution to cancel this position in Australia.”
Sources claim Hilaly was “pressured” into taking the role of Grand Mufti. A source said: “They were begging him. They said he is the only person for this position.”
Among those endorsing Hilaly is AFIC vice president Jamal El Kholed. He said: “We need people in this position who work from the heart. This position is very popular in the Muslim community and not just anyone can be Grand Mufti.
“Sheik Hilaly is the only person I support for this position.”
Hilaly’s former spokesman Keysar Trad said the move to reappoint Sheik Hilaly “has been on the cards for several months”.
Last night ANIC released a statement declaring: “Any other announcement of a new Grand Mufti of Australia is void and unjustified.”
Originally published as Muslim factions warring over Hilaly’s naming as Grand Mufti
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