Syria Appoints Assad Opponent As Top Muslim Cleric

Who is Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, Syria’s appointed Grand Mufti?

Sheikh Osama al-Rifai has been officially reappointed as Grand Mufti of Syria, the country's highest religious authority, following the reinstatement of the office by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The move comes after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, which had previously abolished the position. Al-Rifai, a prominent Islamic scholar and vocal supporter of the Syrian revolution, was first appointed mufti by the opposition in 202…

Shafaq News/ Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara appointed Sheikh Osama al-Rifai as Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic. He also announced the formation of the "Fatwa Council", which is responsible for issuing fatwas on new developments, incidents, and general issues. Osama al-Rifai, a Syrian scholar and preacher born in Damascus in 1944, is known for his opposition to the regimes of Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad, and his support for the Sy…

Syria Appoints Assad Opponent As Top Muslim Cleric

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday appointed Osama al-Rifai, a moderate Muslim cleric known for having opposed now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, as the country's grand mufti. "Today, this position is held by one of the finest scholars" in Syria, Sharaa said in a statement. Rifai, a Damascene born in 1944, publicly expressed opposition to Assad after anti-government protests broke out in 2011. He was beaten after giving a Friday s…

Interim Syrian President Ahmad Shara on Friday appointed as grand mufti a moderate cleric Osama Rifai, who is known for once opposing the already deposed ruler Bashar Assad. Citing an official statement from Sharov's office, AFP reported on Saturday. Rifai publicly expressed his disagreement with Assad shortly after the outbreak of anti-government protests in 2011. Subsequently, members of the government security forces broke into his mosque, be…

Syria Appoints Grand Mufti, Establishes Independent Fatwa Council

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa meet with the newly formed Supreme Fatwa Council, a new body tasked with overseeing religious rulings independently from the government. (L24) Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has officially appointed Sheikh Osama al-Rifai as the Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic during a ceremony at the People’s Palace in Damascus. The event also marked the formation of the Supreme Fatwa Council, a new body tasked with ove…

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa appointed Sheikh Osama al-Rifai as the country's Grand Mufti on Friday to "control religious discourse."