Aiming to enhance cooperation, partnership, and coordination with the scientific and religious institutions of the OIC Member States, a delegation from the Fatwa and Halal Institute of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia visited the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) on Monday 12 Jumada al-Akhira 1445, corresponding to 25 December 2023. The delegation, which included several lecturers from the institute, was received by Mr Mohamed Mondher Chouk, Acting Secretary General of IIFA and Director of the Cabinet and Protocols.

Mr Mondher Chouk welcomed and thanked the delegation for their visit, on behalf of the Secretary General of the Academy, H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, and conveyed to them his best greetings and wishes, stating that this type of visit demonstrates the delegation’s willingness to benefit from IIFA and its resolutions. The delegation then viewed a short documentary film, which presented an overview of IIFA’s history, vision, mission, objectives, and activities, as well as its central scientific role and its contributions to Islam and Muslims through its scientific conferences and specialized seminars.

For his part, H.E. Dr. Irwan Muhammad Sabry, head of the delegation, expressed his thanks for the warm welcome extended to the delegation and for the opportunity to visit this eminent academic institution, regarded as the leading jurisprudential reference in the Muslim world, underlining the reputation and prominence of the IIFA because of the services it renders to the Ummah by issuing resolutions, recommendations and declarations. H.E. Dr. Irwan Sabry also presented the delegation and introduced the Fatwa and Halal Institute, which aims to develop and promote scientific talent in the field of fatwa and halal by encouraging research, innovation and consultation, and strengthening partnership in the development of Islamic products and services, as well as in the education of Muslim societies on fatwa and halal. His Eminence expressed the desire of the delegation to request the Secretary General of IIFA to give them in the near future a lecture on the role of the IIFA and its methodology in issuing fatwas, in order to make the most of its resolutions and recommendations which guide and respond to general and specific issues of concern to Muslims. Mr Mondher Chouk then gave the floor to delegation members to express their thoughts and submit their questions relating to the IIFA’s resolutions and recommendations concerning the halal industry.

At the end of the visit, the delegation toured the IIFA’s departments and divisions, to know IIFA better and how it works. IIFA’s most significint publications were distributed to delegation in order to benefit from its scientific achievements and gain an insight into its various activities and projects.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Ismail Cebeci, Head of Encyclopedias and Glossaries Dept, Mohamed Walid Al-Idrissi, Director of Media and Public Relations Dept, and Mrs. Sarah Hussein Bedewi, Director of Family, Women and Children Dept.