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The Independent Scholars' Council on the Five Cases

Joint rulings from the IUMS and national scholarly councils on all five cases, published in full, which no state can withdraw by leaning on one institution. It takes on the work that the captured Fiqh Academy and Muslim World League have not done.

The Council's rulings

The Council has not issued a ruling yet. Its first joint rulings are due in month 4 of the plan, and will be published here in full.

The full rulings library →

Pressure on scholars

  • Al-Azhar (Egypt's top Islamic institution) and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb (Egypt): Al-Azhar removed a statement it had just published. The statement called the starvation in Gaza a 'fully fledged genocide' and said that states arming Israel were partners in it. According to two sources close to Al-Azhar and the presidency, it was taken down after a request from the president's office. Al-Azhar said it withdrew the statement because it could affect ceasefire negotiations.2025-07-22 (published Tuesday; deleted the next day, per the article of 24 July 2025) · Egypt pressures top Islamic institution to withdraw statement condemning Israeli siege of Gaza (Middle East Eye) (middleeasteye.net)
  • Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque and former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (Israel / occupied East Jerusalem): Arrested after a Friday sermon in which he mourned the assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Police then banned him from Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards for six months.2024-08-02 (arrest); 2024-08-08 (ban confirmed) · Israel bans Imam of Al-Aqsa Ekrema Sabri from entering mosque for six months after he eulogised Ismail Haniyeh (The New Arab) (newarab.com)
  • Sheikh Ekrima Sabri (Israel / occupied East Jerusalem): Banned from travelling abroad. He first received a one-month order on 29 June 2023, and on 11 July 2023 it was extended to six months. The stated reason was national security. Sabri called the decision unjust and said it 'infringes on the freedom of expression'.2023-07-11 · Israel bars former Mufti of Jerusalem from travelling abroad, arrests another (The New Arab) (newarab.com)
  • Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (Israel / occupied East Jerusalem): Banned from Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months, until January 2026, over a Friday sermon in late July 2025 about the worsening conditions and growing starvation in Gaza. According to his lawyer, there was no questioning or hearing first. This followed an earlier eight-day ban over the same sermon.2025-08-06 · Israel bars Jerusalem's top Muslim cleric from Al-Aqsa: lawyer (The New Arab) (newarab.com)
  • Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (Israel / occupied East Jerusalem): Given an initial eight-day ban from Al-Aqsa Mosque over his late-July Friday sermon on starvation in Gaza. The six-month ban of 6 August 2025 came after this one.2025-07 (late July 2025; exact day not given in source) · Israel bars Jerusalem's top Muslim cleric from Al-Aqsa: lawyer (The New Arab) (newarab.com)

The whole record →

Where it stands in twelve months

Holds joint rulings on all five cases that no single state can withdraw by leaning on one institution. Mosques have adopted and preach those rulings, and a public record is kept of any state pressure on the scholars.

Forbidding wrong (hisbah) · Support for the oppressed (nusrat al-mazlum) · Human dignity (karama)

First steps

  1. Agree a charter with the IUMS (months 1-3)
  2. Issue the first joint rulings and the full-text library (month 4)
  3. Open a public record of state pressure on scholars (month 5)

The work, quarter by quarter

  • Months 1-3

    Ask the IUMS, which no arming state controls and which has already ruled on Gaza, to convene national scholarly councils into an Independent Scholars' Council. The Council issues joint rulings on all five cases, taking on the work the captured Fiqh Academy and Muslim World League have left undone.

    Delivers: An agreed charter and founding membership for the Scholars' Council.

    PalestineSudanMyanmarThe UyghursIndia's Muslims

  • Months 4-6

    Ask mosques and zakat committees to adopt the Scholars' Council's first rulings. That means relaying the full texts in Friday sermons (khutbah), teaching the individual duty to aid Palestinians in every possible way and that avoiding indirect ties to oppression is recommended (mustahabb), leading informed boycotts, screening endowments, preaching against ethnic supremacy in Darfur, and speaking for the Rohingya and Uyghurs from verified sources.

    Delivers: Mosque networks formally adopting the rulings and a congregational pledge on giving and boycotts.

    PalestineSudanMyanmarThe UyghursIndia's Muslims

Milestones

  • Month 4The Independent Scholars' Council is founded and issues joint rulings on all five cases, including the individual duty to aid Palestinians in every possible way. Mosque networks adopt the rulings.

Who it brings together

  • Transnational Muslim scholarly bodies
  • National religious authorities and scholarly councils
  • Mosques, zakat committees and waqf bodies