Algerian Religious Affairs Minister Youcef Belmhedi Urges Ethical Oversight of AI in Fatwa Practice at Global Ifta Conference
✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers, Algeria | From Cairo’s prestigious halls of scholarship, Algeria’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments, Dr. Youcef Belmhedi, delivered an address at the 10th Global Ifta Conference, convened by Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta and the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide under the theme “Shaping the Wise Mufti in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
The high-profile opening session gathered senior Egyptian state officials, diplomats, eminent scholars, muftis, and ministers from over seventy nations — an assembly that underscored the international weight of the discussions ahead.
In his keynote intervention, Dr. Belmhedi highlighted the sweeping technological transformations redefining human interaction, including the growing penetration of artificial intelligence applications into religious guidance and fatwa issuance. While acknowledging AI’s potential to boost efficiency, accelerate access to information, and support the work of muftis, he warned that such tools pose significant ethical and jurisprudential challenges if left unchecked.
“Artificial intelligence, regardless of its computational power, cannot replace the reasoning of the human mufti,” he stressed, “for it is the human scholar who wields the tools of ijtihad, grasps the higher objectives of Sharia, and navigates the intricate realities of human society.”
The minister underscored that the wise mufti of today must blend authenticity with modern awareness — armed with knowledge, piety, and a deep understanding of societal, cultural, and technological change. He called for clear ethical and Sharia-based regulations on AI use in fatwa work, including continuous scholarly supervision, transparency, accountability, respect for jurisprudential diversity, and public education on consulting trustworthy scholars.
As the conference proceeds over several days, discussions will focus on innovative mechanisms to modernize fatwa practices, ensuring they remain a reliable moral and legal compass in an era of unprecedented technological disruption.
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