Somalia is stepping up efforts to establish a national council bringing together the country’s Islamic scholars, as parliament begins detailed consideration of legislation intended to define the body’s structure, powers and responsibilities.

The parliamentary committee on religious affairs met in Mogadishu with officials from the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs on Friday to review the draft law.

The proposed law sets out the legal basis, institutional structure, duties and functions of the proposed Somali Council of Islamic Scholars.

The committee said it would ensure the legislation was consistent with Somalia’s constitution while also addressing what it described as the religious and social needs of the Somali society.

Channel of consultation

The government says the council would provide a legally recognised national forum for Islamic scholars and establish a more permanent channel of consultation between religious scholars and state institutions.

If approved, the legislation would give thecouncil a formal mandate to advise on religious affairs and potentially contribute to peace, reconciliation, social cohesion and countering extremist interpretations of Islam.

Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali told lawmakers that the proposed council could contribute to peace-building and reconciliation, mediation of social disputes, religious education and efforts to counter extremist ideology and the misuse of religious teachings.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of Somalia’s long struggle with violent extremism, particularly the campaign waged by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, which has sought to exploit religious narratives in recruiting and influencing young Somalis.

Wider efforts

The proposed council is therefore being considered not only as an institutional mechanism for organising religious scholarship, but also as part of wider efforts to strengthen credible Islamic discourse and provide Somali communities, particularly young people, with alternatives to extremist propaganda and religious misinformation..

House of the People Speaker Abdiqadir Mohamed Nur Jama met members of the Union of Somali Councils of Islamic Scholars in his office on Thursday to discuss the proposed council and other legislations before parliament on which the scholars said they considered their views important.