COVID STRIKES BACK
Al-Ittihad, UAE, July 30
Exactly at a time when Americans thought that the worst of COVID-19 was behind them, the epidemic struck the US hard again. During the past month, the number of infections caused by the Delta variant grew at an alarming rate. At the beginning of July, the number of new infections in the US was about 13,000 a day. But in a matter of weeks, that number went up to 50,000. As a result, Los Angeles County, which has a population of 10 million, reinstated its mask policy for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people in all indoor shared spaces.
And the US isn’t alone; the rapid spread of the mutation is also accelerating in Europe. So far, the US states hardest hit are those with the lowest vaccination rates, such as Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida. The Republican governors of these states refrained from any campaigns calling their residents to vaccinate. But this stance might soon change. When asked about the high rate of new infections in her state, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey responded bluntly, saying: “The government can’t force you to take care of yourself,” adding that “it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks who are letting us down.”
Meanwhile, two prominent Republican governors, Ron DeSantis of Florida and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, urged their voters to get vaccinated, drawing criticism from some conservatives who accused them of being drawn into “political correctness.” These reactions point to a difficult reality for Republicans: Endorsing more vaccinations is exactly the message the Biden administration is promoting and contrasts with the message promoted by conservative voices claiming that vaccination should be an individual choice, not a government-imposed decision. There is no doubt that it is truly tragic that a serious and dangerous issue such as vaccination has turned into a political battleground, but it’s far from surprising given the 2020 elections and the defeat of Donald Trump.
The growing voices coming from the medical community calling to impose mandatory vaccination requirements are turning into a major political debate. On July 26, more than 50 organizations and associations from the health care sector called for mandatory vaccination of all employees. During the same day, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it would require vaccinations for its frontline workers. It is the first federal agency to do so, but it won’t be the last, as other agencies are likely to follow suit, which suggests the possibility of eventually enforcing nationwide vaccination.
Meanwhile, the states of California and New York, as well as several hospitals, including the famous Mayo Clinic, began requiring workers to be vaccinated or tested for coronavirus on a weekly basis. While some states and institutions will resist this growing trend, a national vaccination mandate will mean that the US will come a step closer towards achieving herd immunity against the virus. The irony is that the US has enough vaccines to inoculate its entire population. What is needed now is a new national effort to overcome the resistance of the anti-vaxxers. There is no doubt that the crisis can be resolved if enough Republican leaders and their supporters in the media realize that putting the country’s interest above partisan politics is in their long-term interest. – Geoffrey Kemp
THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION REVOLUTION IN FATWA INSTITUTIONS
Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt, July 31
We are about to make a significant leap in the world of Islamic law thanks to the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, the Egyptian body in charge of coordinating religious decrees – or fatwas – worldwide.
In its upcoming conference, titled “Fatwas in the Digital Age,” the General Secretariat is planning on discussing the changes that occurred in the world of Islamic jurisprudence due to the coronavirus pandemic. The most important item on the General Secretariat’s agenda is the expansion of the digitization project of religious verdicts, with the goal of making them easily accessible to any Muslim around the world. Through digital collaboration, the General Secretariat hopes to identify ways in which various fatwa institutions can collaborate to issue collective verdicts and reduce the risk of individual verdicts, especially those issued by non-experts, which can lead to widespread misconceptions.
There is no doubt that the time has come to adopt means of modern digital technology to support collective jurisprudence. In between the main discussion sessions, conference attendees are expected to meet with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. They will also take part in scholarly workshops covering contemporary issues they are facing in their respective countries. In addition, a special session will be devoted to the question of training muftis – Islamic jurists – remotely, through virtual programs. The Egyptian Dar al-Ifta, one of the Muslim world’s leading religious powerhouses, will present its first specialized program aimed at training and ordaining muftis remotely.
Ultimately, the hope is that the conference will give birth to a memorandum of understanding that establishes the values, principles, and controls mechanisms that will govern international cooperation between jurisprudence institutions. In doing so, participating organizations will be able to come together to refute the intricate web of religious fallacies on which extremist organizations base their ideologies. This will be an important step toward understanding extremism and, ultimately, coming up with national strategies to defeat it. – Ibrahim Najem
WHAT’S NEXT FOR TUNISIA?
Al-Arabiya, London, July 31
Tunisian President Kais Saied rose to rule Tunisia through free elections. He is a university professor and a respected intellectual. He also has an impressive background in Islamic studies.
When he first stepped into office, Saied emphasized that he would build a democratic system that is inclusive of all Tunisian parties and factions. Indeed, the most important thing he did was include the Ennahda Party, the Tunisian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the political process. But Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Ennahda, didn’t reciprocate Saied’s kindness. The Tunisian Brotherhood seized the majority in parliament and started taking control of key positions and offices – and a confrontation erupted between the Brotherhood and the Tunisian president.
It’s shocking to think that Ennahda and its leaders refused to learn the lessons of the Brotherhood’s experience in Egypt – which led to a military coup that removed them from power – and sought to take over the Tunisian government. Above all, it reveals the Brotherhood’s ultimate objective, which is to reject all other opinions and maintain absolute power.
Ennahda leaders should have looked at their neighbors to the east and realized that trying to take control over all state institutions – the presidency, the House of Representatives, the Shura Council, and the government – won’t go by unnoticed by the Tunisian public. Let’s not forget: It was the Tunisian revolution that ignited the Arab Spring. The people of Tunisia are the ones who gave hope for a better future to the entire Arab world. This is not a nation that will simply accept a religious party taking over its political institutions and public life.
President Kais Saied is trying to save his people and he will succeed in fighting the Brotherhood and ensuring the unity of his nation. Tunisia is one of the most advanced and enlightened Arab nations, and it will remain a shining cultural and civilizational beacon for decades to come. – Farouk Jweideh
Translated by Asaf Zilberfarb.