OnIslam.net

CAIRO – Following its win of an international media award for its role in developing a better image of Islam, Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta (Fatwa House) has been invited to the United Nations to expound its efforts in building bridges between different cultures and faiths.

“Inviting Dar Al-Ifta to the United Nations is a recognition of efforts by Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa and the body in the fields of fatwa, inter-faith dialogue and boosting the culture of tolerance and rapprochement between all peoples,” Dr Ibrahim Negm, a counselor to the Grand Mufti, said following a meeting with Ramu Damodaran, chief of Academic Impact and Deputy Director for partnerships and public engagement at the UN's public information outreach division.

“It’s also a recognition of Dar Al-Ifta’s efforts in the fields of religion, science, culture and thought.”

The invitation comes days after Dar Al-Ifta was awarded the Media Tenor Special Award for its role in developing a better image of Islam in the media, particularly in the West.

According to the Swiss organization, the award was meant to highlight the role played by the prominent organization in showing the true image of Islam.

Dar Al-Ifta is an educational institute founded to represent Islam and the international flagship for Islamic legal research since its establishment in 1313 AH/1895 CE.

It fulfills its role by keeping contemporary Muslims in touch with religious principles, clarifying "the right way," removing doubts concerning religious and worldly life, and revealing religious law for the new issues of contemporary life.

Dar Al-Ifta draws upon the Qur’an and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him), and consults the opinions of jurists throughout history to carry out its important role of helping Muslims live their lives according to the principles of Islam.

“Dar Al-Ifta represents a successful example of building bridges and consolidating co-existence between cultures and civilizations,” said Damodaran.

Academic Impact is a United Nations initiative to align institutions of higher education, scholarship and research with the UN and with each other.

The initiative was conceived as an additional tool in the UN's arsenal to bring more attention and focus to the larger aim of implementing the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight targets that respond to some of the world's toughest challenges such as poverty, HIV-Aids and child mortality.

Islamophobia

Negm believes that the UN invitation will give Dar Al-Ifta a floor to draw a better image of Islam and fight Islamophobia in the West.

“This invitation acquires a special importance, especially in light of the rise in the anti-Islam rhetoric in Europe and the United States,” he said.

“Dar Al-Ifta will seize on the opportunity to ask Western media outlets to shoulder their moral responsibility in distinguishing between the true Islamic teachings and misconceptions and stereotypes.”

Anti-Muslims sentiments have been on the rise in the West since the 9/11 attacks on the US.

A recent British study accused the media and film industry of perpetuating Islamophobia and prejudice by demonizing Muslims and Arabs as violent, dangerous and threatening people.

Famed US academic Stephen Schwartz had also criticized the Western media for failing to meet the challenge of reporting on Islam after 9/11.