Sadiq Al-Ghariani

Sadiq al-Ghariani
الصادق الغرياني
Ghariani in December 2011.
Grand Mufti of Libya
Incumbent
Assumed office February 2012
Preceded by	Assadiq al-Ghiriani
Personal details
Born	(1942-12-08) 8 December 1942 Tripoli, Italian Libya
Nationality	Libyan
Alma mater	University of Mohammed bin Ali al-Sanusi (BA) al-Azhar University (Msc & PhD) University of Exeter (PhD)
Profession	Cleric
Religion	Salafi Islam
Website	tanasuh.com

Sadiq Abdulrahman Ali Alghariani (alternative spelling include Saadiq, Sadeq and Sadik) (Arabic: الصادق عبد الرحمن علي الغرياني) has been the Grand Mufti of Libya since 2012.^[1][2]

Background

Al-Ghariani was born in 1942. He studied Sharia law at an Islamist educational institution in Bayda which is currently known as Omar Al-Mukhtar University. He graduated in 1969 and started teaching there in 1970.

He obtained in 1972 his master's degree in 'Comparative Jurisprudence' from the Faculty of Sharia and Law, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. In 1984 he received a doctorate in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

In 1979 he obtained his doctorate degree in 'Comparative Jurisprudence' from the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the University of Al-Azhar, under the title (Alhukm Alsharie byna Alnaql wa Alaql) (Islamic Sharia ruling between Text and Mind).

In 1984 he obtained another doctorate degree from the Arabic and Islamic Studies Department, the University of Exeter, Britain, titled (Iydah Almasalik ila Qawaid Alimam Malik) (Clarifying the methods to Alimam Malik's rules) by Ahmed Ben Yahia Alonshrese (investigation and study.)

Libyan Conflict of 2011

During the Libyan Civil War of 2011, he declared a "jihad" against Muammar Gadhaffi during a televised address. Ghariani was later appointed as the Grand Mufti of Libya in February 2012 by the National Transitional Council.

Following the fall of Tripoli Airport in August 2014, he congratulated the Libya Dawn coalition on his internet channel from the UK, saying "I congratulate the revolutionaries in their victory, I give blessing to the martyrs". In 2016, fallowing the crack down on the ISIS affiliated radical group of Benghazi revolutionary council, He continued his full support to the radical militia, and even asked the militia fighting in the city of Sirte to continue the march towards the city of Benghazi to support the embattled radical militia.

Political controversy 2011–present

Grand Mufti Ghariani has been found to have given controversial orders to his viewers over his "Tanasuh" TV channel over the years after the February 17 revolution raising the question if his purpose in Libya has no apparent agenda. Ghariani was observed to have supported radical Islamist fighters designated as terrorist(s) or supporters thereof by a number of international monitors and agencies, and has been observed to declare Jihad against Benghazi General Khalifa Haftar during operations against ISIS/Daesh in Sirte in 2015–16 raising question on whether his purpose is at all non violent.

In the lead up to the 2012 GNC election Ghariani urged voters not to vote for the National Forces Alliance party led by Mahmoud Jibril because of Jibril's Liberalism politics.

He is also a notable supporter of Operation Libya Dawn. The British media report that he "faces possible war crimes charges for urging followers to overthrow Libyan government" and that he is currently residing in the United Kingdom, where he gained his doctorate in 1984.^[3]

The Tanasuh TV channel and Grand Mufti Ghariani were accused by Misurata's politician Swehli for Inciting violence after Ghariani's TV broadcast declaring Jihad against Haftar's forces.^[4][5]

The Tanasuh TV channel was attacked on numerous occasions, with one incident involving armed men barging in and looting the recording equipment and sacking the broadcasting office in Libya.

Ghariani has also been observed to have contacted political parties and groups such as the Tripoli-based GNC requesting to hand over power to " the other body it chooses", implying that Ghariani has the status and power to declare the political future of Tripoli. - Lana News agency '22-07-2016'

On 31 March 2016, Ghariani, 'advised' the Presidential Council (Libya) that the doors of jihad will open for at least 10 years^[6] if the presidency council under Seraj were to stay in Tripoli, and concluded by advising the Presidency Council to not arrive; and leave Tripoli.

Clerik Sadek Al Ghariani has been banned and barred from entering the UK^[7] after a lawsuit was made against him over his support over the violent take-over of the "Libya Dawn Militia group" In Tripoli using the Tanasuh TV channel that broadcast from the UK. The controversy is more evident when he was found to be heading to Qatar soon after his travel ban.^[8] Questions arise over a conspiracy against Libya^[9] headed by Qatar and Golf States to create a Radical Islamic satellite state controlled from within Tripoli, all of which seem to have been thwarted by Tripoli's residents who remain to be moderate Muslims.

On 22 July 2016, Cleric Sadek Al Ghariani along with Misrata milita leader Salah Badi and former GNC-regime prime minister Omar al-Hassi were found to have orchestrated a pro-Islamic based protest against the Presidential Council (Libya) in Tripoli over the presence of French special forces that were recently killed in the downing of their chopper over Benghazi.^[10] The protest was initially planned to be symbolic as protesters along western coast cities from Zuwara to Tripoli have set fire to French flags. However the protest turned political as the protesters demanded the UN agreed upon Presidential Council (Libya) (PC) Headed by Fayez al-Sarraj to be dismantled or sacked and replaced by the more Islamic supreme revolutionaries’ council.^[11]

On 4 August 2016, Clerik Sadek Al Ghariani stated that the US airstrike in Sirte^[12][13] was illegal in a press conference, Even though it was requested by the UN agreed upon Presidency Council (led by Chairman Faiez Seraj based in Tripoli as the sole legitimate government of Libya). Ghariani has dismissed the anti-Daesh air strike as a political stunt for US electoral purposes in helping the democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He has likewise dismissed the presidency council as "illegitimate", coming very close to endorsing the Islamic State in Libya. He has also evidently attacked the RADA special forces in Tripoli (responsible for dealing with rampant crime and Kidnappings ) for "Carrying out crimes of arrest and seizure against Benghazi Revolutionaries" Ghariani claimed, who have been evidently linked to the Islamic State and terrorist practices via video prisoner confessions that the RADA special forces released.^[14]

Controversial Declarations

- Ghariani's conservative teachings have long been a subject of controversy, and he was criticized in late August 2014 by then Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani with Quote "Ageing grey Mufti: has no shame in issuing political edicts" in 20 Oct, 2014, for issuing false fatwas and called on Libya's Council of Deputies to remove him from his post.

- In March 2013, Cleric Ghariani has issued a fatwa prohibiting Libyan women from marrying foreign men.^{[3][15][16][17]} He has also displayed strong opposition to the "UN Report on Violence Against Women and Girls"^[18][19][20] and has organised a protest with a number of Libyan women at the UN Headquarters that demanded Sharia Law, and has simultaneously issued a "fatwa against a UN Commission on the Status of Women's report because it urged governments to protect women and girls against violence". Meanwhile, there were also women who have protested in support of the UN commissioned document on Violence against women.^[21]

- In February 2014 Al-Ghariani forbade opposition to the General National Congress^[22] which was refusing to stand down and hold elections. He called for its enemies to be "eliminated".

Opposition

"No to the Muslim Brotherhood. No to Bloodshed." Photograph with a Denial sign over Ghariani's photo

Due to Ghariani's recent political endeavors in Libyan politics in such a crucial time of "the moulding" of the state of Libya, multiple reports emerged that he awaits arrest by Tripoli Militia leader Haithem Tajouri.^{[23][24][25][26]}

Militia leader Haithem Tajouri ordered the "seizure of predominantly Islamic - Muslim brotherhood supporting - Misuratan Intelligence personnel" with support of Intelligence officers Opposing the "Islamic Domination of Intelligence apparatus" News agencies have thus reported on August 14, 2016.

Leaflets have appeared in the streets of Tripoli reportedly showing " NO to the Muslim Brotherhood" with Ghariani's photograph marked with a red Denial symbol.

Tanasoh Tv Channel

The TV channel believed to be owned and supported by Sadiq Ghariani and his supporters and has been branded on numerous occasions as a radical Islamist propaganda outlet. Political subjects are usually discussed and often express inflammatory rhetoric. It is believed that the Tanasuh / Tanasoh TV channel was attacked in the past. The British government investigated Sadiq Ghariani for 'inciting Islamic insurgency' in Libya,^[27] which eventually led to his ban from the country. The Tanasoh TV channel, leniency towards ISIS and Ansar-Al-Sharia; Sadiq Ghariani and the sudden radical-Islamist surge in Tripoli and its domestic politics can be attributed to the very potential presence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the broad presence of a growing radical presence in Libya.^[28][29]

References

"Ghariani Banned from UK"