Ibrahim Zeid Keilani

Sheikh Ibrahim Zeid Keilani (1937 in Salt – 2 April 2013) was a Jordanian Muslim cleric and politician. He served as the minister of awqaf and Islamic affairs in 1990 and served as a member of Jordan's House of Representatives between 1993 and 1997.[1] He was a member of the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, and served on the party's Sharia Ulema Committee. He was described as an Islamist.[2]

Sheikh Ibrahim Zeid Keilani
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 1993–1997
Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs
In office 1990 or January 1991 – ?
Prime Minister	Mudar Badran
Personal details
Born	1937 Salt, Transjordan
Died	2 April 2013 (aged 75–76)
Nationality	Jordan
Political party	Islamic Action Front
Other political affiliations	Muslim Brotherhood
Alma mater	University of Baghdad Damascus University Al-Azhar University

Career and religious views

Keilani studied Islamic Studies at the University of Baghdad and Damascus University. He then earned his MA and Ph.D. at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.[1]

During the 1970s Keilani hosted a television show, the show was important in creating support for the first Islamic bank of the country. The main proposer of the Jordan Islamic Bank, Sami Hamoud, featured on four episodes to discuss Islamic banking. Keilani later served on the Fatwa Committee of the Preparatory Committee of the bank.[3]

Keilani was appointed as Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs either in 1990[1] or January 1991.[4] During the Gulf War, while he was the minister, Keilani supported Saddam Hussein. He condemned the United States and the Arab states that fought against Iraq in the war, saying that they were treacherous for fighting against the "army of Iraq, which is the army of Islam".[4] At the same time he also supported the Palestinian cause, saying that Jerusalem belonged to the Palestinians.[4]

After his term of minister, Keilani served in the House of Representatives of 12th Parliament of Jordan, which was in place from 1993 to 1997.[1] In the parliamentary year 1996–1997 he served as chair of the law committee.[5]

Islamic Action Front

In 2000, the Jordanian government tried to introduce Saturday as a second rest-day of the week. Keilani, as leader of the Islamic Action Front's Sharia Ulema Committee opposed this. Keilani said that Saturday was the day off of Jordan's enemy, Israel, and that by implementing the measure the Jordanian government would be acting treacherously.[6] As leader of the committee Keilani defended the practice of honor killings.[7] During the celebration of the Jordanian Independence Day on 25 May 2001 the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood boycotted the official celebrations for the first time. Instead, they launched protests in which they voiced their support for Palestine and protest against Jordanian ties with Israel. Keilani was one of the main speakers during the protests.[8]

In 2004 members and leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood were involved in leading sermons and teaching in mosques while having no authorization to do so by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. Several members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested, while others were summoned to talk to security officials. Keilani was injured after a row with security men and had to go to hospital.[9]

Jordan had implemented the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 2007. Keilani criticized the government for doing so, saying that the treaty was "a dangerous agreement that effects the rights of citizens as well as the nation's identity and values". He accused the treaty as an effort to distance people from religion and as an effort to destroy the Muslim family.[2]

In 2008, Keilani disagreed with top Saudi Islamic cleric, Saleh al-Lihedan, who issued a fatwa making it permissible to kill owners and employees of television stations which showed immoral content. Although Keilani agreed with al-Lihedan that some of the content was immoral to Islamic standards, he feared that the fatwa would bring unrest to countries. He said that governments were responsible for dealing with the television channels.[10]

In 2010 Keilani ordered a ban on the increasing tourism to Jerusalem, a holy city for Muslims. He said that the religious tourism normalized relations between Arab states and Israel.[11]

References

1. "Former awqaf minister Keilani passes away at 76". The Jordan Times. 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
2. Catherine Warrick (1 January 2009). Law in the Service of Legitimacy: Gender and Politics in Jordan. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-7546-7587-7.
3. Clement M. Henry; Rodney Wilson (2004). The Politics of Islamic Finance. Edinburgh University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-7486-1837-8.
4. "Saddam verloren? Dat kan niet!" (in Dutch). Reformatorisch Dagblad. 12 March 1991. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
5. Russell E. Lucas (1 June 2006). Institutions and the Politics of Survival in Jordan: Domestic Responses to External Challenges, 1988-2001. SUNY Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-7914-6446-5.
6. "Jordanian Islamists Outraged over Saturday Day Off". Al Bawaba. 1 February 2000. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
7. Yotam Feldner (December 2000). ""Honor" Murders – Why the Perps Get off Easy". The Middle East Quarterly. pp. 41–50. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
8. "Brotherhood on the move in Jordan". Al Ahram Weekly. 31 May – 6 June 2001. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
9. "Jordan detains Muslim Brothers leadership banning them from sermons". Arabic News. 11 September 2004. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
10. "Arabs Denounce Cleric's Edict to Kill Satellite TV Station Owners". FoxNews. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
11. Ksenia Svetlova (20 August 2010). "The forbidden city". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 21 October 2013.