Mahdi Al-Sumaidaie

Grand Mufti
Mahdi ibn Ahmad al-Sumaidaie
مهدي الصميدعي
Mahdi Al Sumaidaie on Iraqi television
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2014
Personal
ReligionIslam
NationalityIraqi Arab
DenominationSunni
Organization
InstituteMustansiriya University
Muslim leader
PostGrand Mufti of Iraq

Mahdi ibn Ahmed Al-Sumaidaie (Arabic: مهدي بن أحمد الصميدعي, romanized: Mahdi Ibn Ahmad Al Sumaidaye) is the Grand Mufti of Iraq. He runs the Sunni Fatwa Council in Baghdad, at the Umm-al-Tubul mosque.[1]

Since 2014 he has been recognized by the government of Nuri al-Maliki as Grand Mufti of the Sunnis of Iraq, the highest Iraqi Sunni religious authority.[1][2]

He played an important political role in the events of Iraq, in an attempt to involve part of Salafi Islam in the fight against the Islamic State, alongside the Shiite forces.[3] Despite this, he has close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.[4][5][6][7] His role as mufti, however, is contested by some Iraqi Sunnis. The juridical council of the ulama is represented by Sheikh Abdul Waha al-Samarrai.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Monday to be 1st Day of Eid Fitr, announces Ifta House". Iraqi News. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  2. ^ "URGENT: Sunni Grand Mufti of Iraq, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Sumaidaie declares tomorrow as 1st day of Eid al-Fitr". Iraqi News. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Sheikh Mehdi al-Sumaidaie, Iraqi Sunni Grand Mufti, attends the..." Getty Images (in German). Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Iraq-Iran: generale Soleimani ricevuto a Baghdad dal Gran muftì dei sunniti al Sumaida'i". Agenzia Nova (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Spotlight on Iran (December 2, 2018 – December 16, 2018)". The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Iraq | Sheikh al-Bayati Denounces the Cooperation of Some Arab and Islamic Countries with the US | unews". 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Iraq | Sheikh al-Bayati: All Muslims Should Stand with Iran and Turkey to Defeat the American Blockade | unews". 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Iraq's Religious Leaders Join Hands to Promote Peaceful Coexistence – Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI)". Retrieved 28 June 2022.