In the Name of Allāh,

the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

Praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our master Muḥammad, the last of prophets, on his family, and all his companions.

Resolution No. 221 (5/23) Intellectual and Operational Procedures to

Confront Fanaticism, Extremism, and Present- Day Terrorism in Different Areas and Fields

The Council of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, holding its 23rd session in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 19–23 Ṣafar 1440h (28 October – 1 November 2018),

Having examined the research papers submitted to the Academy concerning Intellectual and Operational Procedures to Confront Fanaticism, Extremism, and Present-Day Terrorism in Different Areas and Fields,

Having listened to the in-depth discussions,

Resolves

All forms and kinds of extremism are prohibited in the Noble Quran and the Prophet’s Sunnah. Its prohibition worsens when extremism leads its followers to assault human beings, dignities, properties, intellects, and religions.

Recommendations

First: Improving the content and style of the religious discourse at Mosques by connecting it to social events and the living reality.

Second: Elevating the position of the Imam (Mosque leader), Mu’adhin (caller to prayers) by improving their living standards and professional level in addition to qualification training and programs in the field of religious preach- ing and guidance. This should also include all workers in mosques.

Third: Establishing Quran Academies in every country, supervised by a distinguished group of experts specialized in Quranic sciences and recitations and provide these centers with the latest educational means to fight extremist ideologies.

Fourth: Recruiting competent Muftis who fulfil the conditions for issuing fatāwā (Shariah legal verdicts) and assigning them to different cities and regions in their countries. Also, calling on governments to rely on collective Iftā in gen-

eral and contemporary issues, in order to revive the jurisprudence of collective Ijtihād, and to introduce laws banning incompetent individuals from addressing fatwās, and to implement deterrent penalties against them.

Fifth: Modernizing educational courses in educational institutions and bring- ing them up to date in order to open their content toward the respect of human rights and to renouncing violence, extremism, terrorism, and atheism, and to recognize diversity and divergence.

Sixth: Designing educational curricula and programs based on the creed of our Ummah and its fundamental principles, through combining originality with modernity, and reviewing any misconceptions about Islam which they may contain, and working on their correction.

Seventh: Urging media corporations to adopt a discourse based on the me- dium path and moderation in their offered programs, and to rely on facts, and to distance themselves from rumors.

Eighth: Working on clarifying misconceptions about some Shariah concepts such as jihād, caliphate, loyalty and disavowal, law-giving authority and other topics used to manipulate youth to indulge in disputes.

Ninth: Introducing educational programs and subjects at schools and uni- versities focusing on renouncing violence, criminality, and extremism and on reinforcing awareness on the impermissibility of assaulting human beings, prop- erties, and dignities.

Tenth: Launching a comprehensive high-quality cultural program in society to be sponsored by relevant public institutions aiming to correct negative views about Islam and its teachings; and reset the well-established Shariah principles neglected by the public, preachers, and intellectuals.

Eleventh: Introducing an educational policy based on reinforcing the prin- ciples and values of tolerance, citizenship, critical thinking, and respecting the opinion of others.

Twelfth: Calling on governments and communities to draw from successful experiences in countering extremism and terrorism.

Thirteen: Opening dialogue prospects with partisans of extremist ideolo- gies to refute their ambiguities and to bring them back to the right path and moderate social life, and coexistence with the society and regimes in order to achieve social stability and prosperity.

Indeed, Allāh is All-Knowing.