Libya’s Mufti warns against “Indoctrination”

Libya’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Al-Sadiq Al-Ghariani, has expressed serious concerns over the introduction of a Saudi Arabian-influenced curriculum in Libyan schools and mosques.

He has criticised the “Archaeological Treasures” textbook, which is being promoted by the Endowments Authority and the Ministry of Education, as a tool for spreading Wahhabism, the prevailing form of Islam in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Ghariani worries that this curriculum will lead to Libyan children adopting beliefs that are at odds with the traditional Islamic practices of their families, potentially causing social unrest.

He has called upon the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education to stop its implementation and has stated that they will be held accountable for any instability that arises as a result.

The Mufti has disclosed that his office has received numerous complaints about the book, which is already being taught in mosques with incentives such as prizes offered for memorisation.

He emphasised its resemblance to the Saudi Ministry of Education’s curriculum, which is based on the Hanbali school of Islamic law and the teachings of influential Saudi scholars like Ibn Baz and Al-Fawzan.

In essence, the Mufti sees this initiative as a form of ideological indoctrination that poses a threat to Libya’s religious and social harmony.