Sheikh Osama al-Rifai[a] (born 1944) is a Syrian Islamic preacher, and religious figure who has been the Grand Mufti of Syria since November 2021,[1] the highest religious authority in the country.[2] He is known for his advocacy of the Syrian revolution.[3]
Early life and education
al-Rifai was born to Sheikh Abd al-Karim al-Rifai[b] in 1944 in Damascus, Syria. He studied Arabic language and sciences at the University of Damascus. He obtained his graduation in 1971 and subsequently became the imam of the Abd al-Karim al-Rifai Mosque in Damascus, a mosque named after his father.[1][4]
Career
al-Rifai is reportedly active in Sunni Islamic scholarship since the 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, his influence in religious circles brought him under scrutiny from the Syrian government.[5] In 1981, he left Syria for Saudi Arabia following his affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood amid a government crackdown on Islamic groups.[3] While in Saudi Arabia, he continued his religious and scholarly activities, with a focus on community outreach.[5]
In November 2021, the Syrian opposition appointed him the Grand Mufti of Syria. He became the first person to hold the title since the position was abolished in 2021 by the Assad government.[1]
The opposition such as the Syrian National Coalition (SOC) and the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria supported al-Rifai's appointment as Grand Mufti, citing his scholarly background, role in Syrian society, and focus on justice. He also operates primary and university level educational institutions in Turkey.[1]
Activism
Following the assassination of Lebanese prime ministerRafic Hariri in 2005, Syria underwent a brief period of political openness, partly due to international pressure. During this time, al-Rifai's group initiated the Maintain the Grace project, an attempt focused on aiding the poor in Damascus. The project gained popularity but encountered restrictions by 2008, when the Syrian government began limiting the activities of various religious and social organizations as it reasserted political control.[5]
al-Rifai became an active supporter of the Syrian uprising in 2011, reportedly using the Abd al-Karim al-Rifai Mosque as a base for both religious and political activities, preaching messages of resistance against the government of Bashar al-Assad.[6] On 27 August 2011, Syrian security forces and militia reportedly attacked the mosque during the tahajjud prayer of the Laylat al-Qadr, injuring al-Rifai and numerous worshippers.[3] He was subsequently hospitalized, and footage of his recovery surrounded by supporters was widely circulated.[5]
In Turkey
After leaving Syria, al-Rifai relocated to Turkey in June 2012, where he formed a coalition of Syrian Islamist scholars and others to restore the League of Scholars of the Levant (LSL), a group established in 1937 that operated clandestinely until 2011.[7] In 2014, he was appointed by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as head of the Syrian Islamic Council (SIC) in Istanbul. This appointment was part of Turkey's attempt to create an umbrella organization aimed at consolidating religious leaders in support of the opposition against the Bashar al-Assad government.[8][5]
Al-Rifai, along with his associates in the Muslim Brotherhood and Sufi networks, has been active in both Turkey and areas of northern Syria under the control of Turkish armed forces, reportedly promoting a religious narrative consistent with the political views of the Erdoğan administration.[1][7][9]
Controversies
Al-Rifai has been criticized for remarks regarding gender roles and foreign influence in Syria. During a sermon in Azaz, he alleged that United Nations workers and other organizations were promoting women's liberation ideas that he viewed as disruptive to Syrian family structures.[10]
