Grand Mufti’s social media statement wins praise in Oman

His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalili, Grand Mufti of the Sultanate, has been widely praised after taking to social media to explain his position regarding an honorary certificate he was given by ‘The International Organisation for Peace’.

Dr Muwafiq Fuwwaz Al Ruwaili, a former Shura Council Member in Saudi Arabia, took to twitter to inform the Grand Mufti that the organisation was not a bona fide or registered entity and that he feared the organisation had arranged the presentation to promote their own works.

To his delight, Al Ruwaili received a direct reply from Oman’s Grand Mufti, thanking him for bringing it to his attention.

Al Ruwaili told Times of Oman: “There are many organisations that take the opportunity to take images with the famous or learned and use the excuse of giving a certificate to actually improve their own reputation. I could not bear the sight of this with his eminence.

“Sheikh Al Khalili’s response says so much about his nature. It was kind and educated. The fact that he mentioned my full name in his response means as much to me as my own Ph.D, which I received around 40 years ago.”

The Grand Mufti put out a statement via his personal publishers which read: “Praised be Allah and may peace be upon his prophet Mohammed, his companions, and followers.”

“I have been delivered advice from multiple sources that came from a generous brother and faithful counsellor called Muwafiq Fawwaz Al Ruwaili as pertaining to an honorary certificate given to me by what is called the international organisation for peace after what he asserted of it being a fake organisation.”

“I thank him for his dear advice and would like to confirm to him that I saw the advice and that I am not one to be taken in by these certificates. When I received the certificate, I placed it and the matter aside, as I thought it does not cause benefit or harm even if it were to come from a real educational institution.

“A short time ago I received an honorary certificate from one of the most famous universities in Arab lands, and even though I thank the university and those who work there and appreciate their intentions, I was careful to keep the certificate quiet and to forget it happened. This is because I hate things that are for show and do not like to take them into account, and also because I believe that an educational certificate should be the fruit of labour at an educational institution, not to be given except to those who passed the levels of tests one by one and came out successful, as is the case in the educational system.”