Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine Visits the Academy to discuss Ways to Enhance Joint Cooperation
His Excellency Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary‑General of the Academy, received on Thursday, 26 Rajab 1447 AH, corresponding to 15 January 2026, at the General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah, His Excellency Ambassador Hadi Shibli, Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, accompanied by H.E. Counselor Naseem Al‑Za’anin, Deputy Permanent Representative, and First Secretary Athar Omari. The visit came within the framework of consultations and joint coordination to discuss mechanisms for activating the Academy’s fatwa on allocating a portion of zakat funds to support the Palestinian people.
During the meeting, both sides emphasised the importance of implementing the historic Resolution No. 165 (3/18) issued by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, which strengthens the role of zakat in combating poverty, regulates its collection and distribution, and benefits from contemporary jurisprudential efforts. This would contribute to directing zakat funds to the Palestinian people, given the extremely difficult humanitarian and economic conditions they are facing.
The meeting also discussed appropriate academic and media mechanisms to implement this fatwa and the related resolution—whether through a specialised scientific seminar or an academic conference—with the participation of relevant institutions, foremost among them the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA). The aim is to highlight this important Shariah ruling and to disseminate it widely across diverse media platforms to ensure its reach throughout Muslim countries and communities.
This visit follows an earlier reception by His Excellency of a high‑level Palestinian delegation headed by H.E. Dr Ahmad Abu Holi, Head of the Refugee Affairs Department in the Palestine Liberation Organisation. During that meeting, the delegation stressed the need for practical steps to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in light of increasing challenges and attempts to undermine and eliminate its humanitarian role.
For his part, the Ambassador expressed his gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency for this important scholarly and Shariah‑based initiative, calling for the widest possible dissemination of the fatwa due to its significant impact on supporting the resilience of Palestinian refugees and strengthening Islamic solidarity with them. He also called for holding a press conference before or during the blessed month of Ramadan to publicise the fatwa and achieve its intended humanitarian and Shariah objectives.
His Excellency affirmed the Academy’s readiness to translate the fatwa and its accompanying statement into the three official languages, prepare an academic brief on it, and work on disseminating it through the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA) to ensure its widest possible reach, thereby enhancing Shariah awareness of the role of zakat in supporting the Palestinian cause.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Muhammad Al‑Munzir Rida Al‑Shawk, Director of Protocol and Cabinet Affairs; Dr. Abdulfattah Mahmoud Ibnauf, Director of Planning, Development, and External Relations; and Mr. Amjad Ibrahim Mustafa Al‑Mansi, Head of the Protocol Division.