Muslim Clerics Issuing Fatwas For Money

From the Hindustan Times:

Caught on camera, 2 UP clerics suspended in fatwa racket

Muzaffarnagar/Meerut, September 18, 2006

Sting operation shows clerics issuing fatwas for money

Two Muslim clerics purportedly caught on camera allegedly taking bribes for declaring fatwas were suspended as ulemas on Monday, decided to form a body to monitor issuance of religious edicts.

All India Milli Council set up an inquiry committee and announced "a social boycott" of those involved in the fatwas racket.

Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband suspended Mufti Habibur Rehman and Meerut's Shahi Jama Masjid removed Maulana Imran following reports that they were seen accepting the money in return for issuing fatwas.

Darul Uloom Vice-Chancellor Marghoobur Rehman said a four-member panel would investigate the matter and if found guilty Habibur would be dismissed. "It may be a conspiracy to malign the image of this world-famous seminary," he said.

Senior clerics of the seminary asked the community to seek fatwas from reliable institutions to ensure its legality.

Meerut Naib Qazi Jenur Rashideen told reporters that Imran had been removed from the mosque's clergy and also asked to leave Nakkarchian-Gudri Bazar locality,

In a late night meeting attended by ulemas and qazis, the mosque management decided to soon set up a body, "Darul Ifta", to monitor the declaring of fatwas, he said.

Rashideen said prominent clerics would be members of the body managed by him. An 11-member committee had also been constituted to probe the fatwa racket with Haji Haneef Qureshi as convenor. Maulana Asad Jilani and Qazi Shafiqul Rehman were among its members, he said.

A new kind of Abscam. Though it's undoubtedly a very ancient practice.

Like "indulgences," only different.

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