By Moutaz Mathi.
Tripoli, 6 October 2o16:
A member of Grand Mufti Sadik Al-Ghariani’s Dar Al-Ifta (Fatwa House) has been kidnapped in Tripoli. Sheikh Nadir Al-Omrani was seized by armed men in two cars early this morning close to his house in the capital’s Hadba Al-Khadra district while on his ways to prayers at the nearby Fuatir mosque.
Omrani, 45, a member of the board directors of Dar Al-Ifta and chairman of the Libyan Scholars’ Association, is one of controversial grand mufti’s closest aides.
The identity of his kidnappers is unknown. Colleagues have suggested that either supporters of the so-called Islamic State or of Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter and Operation Dignity are involved. For its part, the Dar Al-Ifta has said that responsibility for his safety lay with the Presidency Concil and the security forces in the city. It warned that such an unacceptable incident could lead to bloodshed in the country.
The Presidency Council has also condemned the abduction saying it had instructed the interior ministry to find the criminals and ensure Omrani was released as soon as possible.
It is not known if it connected but yesterday, on his Tanasah TV channel, Ghariani accused Misratans gangs of kidnapping people in Tripoli for ransom.