Bubbling beneath the conventionality of an austere surface, a battle is raging for the hearts and minds of Ireland’s growing Muslim community – a struggle whose outcome will no doubt shape the direction of Islam in Ireland.
The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), headed by Shaikh Yusuf al Qaradawi and based in Dublin, was opened with the express purpose of regulating Islam in Europe. Through a well-financed system, this body aims, in the words of its current head, to “play the role of the missing leadership of the Muslim Nation with all its trends and groups”.
And that perhaps is where the problem begins. Similar to the Irish Council of Imams, the ECFR is a self-elected body and seeks to impose its own ideological brand of Islam upon Muslims without due process, consultation or respect for the diversity that already exists.
One notable example of this is the imposition of astronomical calculations as a means of determining the start and end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month. Despite the long-held and authentic tradition (the Islamic calendar follows the cycles of the moon phase) the ECFR continues to sow confusion and dissent through its affiliates here in Ireland. For example, Eid prayers last year were held on two separate days, a direct result of this turmoil.
This all may appear somewhat trivial to the uninitiated, but as Ramadan is a visible show of unity, the discord caused by the ECFR and its Irish partners is disingenuous. In fact, many see a distinct political and anti-Saudi agenda behind these impositions. To put it into perspective, it would be a bit like the Greek Orthodox Church telling Irish Catholics to accept their dates for Lent over and above the dictates of Rome.
In the absence of the Caliphate (a single Muslim leader) to serve as a unifying force for the worldwide Muslim community, the autonomous nature of different groups acts as a safety valve against the kind of innovation foisted upon European Muslims by the ECFR and its Irish cohorts.
While there may be points of agreement (for example, both the ECFR and most Irish Muslims believe in the superiority of Shariah as a form of legislation), this does not negate the dangers posed by this group.
Government bodies need to acknowledge the diversity of the Irish Muslim community and cease giving credence to an organisation which openly states that it will make “relentless efforts with the official authorities in European countries to acknowledge and officially recognise the council, and to refer to the council in reference to Islamic judgements.”
There is no hierarchy or Episcopal parallel in Islam, and efforts to shepherd the Irish Muslim community under an ECFR umbrella will be stringently opposed by those who recognise the inherent threat.
Liam Egan is South East branch manager with MPACIE (Muslim Public Affairs Committee Ireland), a sister concern of the UK Muslim advocacy group MPACUK.
