Rein in ‘greedy blood money brokers’

RIYADH: Action must be taken against brokers negotiating blood money on behalf of victims’ families and asking for exorbitant amounts, said Shoura Council members at a session.
Mefleg Al-Rashidi said requests for huge amounts of blood money have become the norm. Brokers do so for personal benefit. He called on the Council of Senior Scholars to issue a fatwa to curb this phenomenon.
Abdulrahman Al-Atawi said rules and regulations should be reviewed to ensure they do not conflict with Islamic law. There were some regulations not in line with the law, he was quoted as saying by a local Arabic publication.
Meanwhile, several members said the judiciary should set up special centers to deal with divorce cases and link them to civil status courts, to lighten case loads at the office of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom.
This came during discussions on the report of the Islamic and judicial affairs committee on the annual report of the General Presidency of Scientific Research and Iftaa. Abdullah Al-Harbi said tasks of the mufti include issuing divorce fatwas. There were 5,107 in 2014 and 2015, with 100 to 110 cases per week on average.
He called for the establishment of approved iftaa centers in the main provinces of the Kingdom so many people can benefit, especially since rulings in divorce cases cannot be given over the phone, and because these centers’ tasks include reconciliation between litigants.
He confirmed that the presidency rents 13 buildings and only owns five.