Cabinet refuses FNC request to study regulation of faith healing

One of the 12 proposals the FNC passed to the Cabinet this year on the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf was for them to study 'how to regulate the activity of faith healing and specifying regulations to benefit from this activity, to ensure the activity is not abused'.

FNC member Hamad Al Rahoomi wants faith healing legitimised. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

ABU DHABI // The Cabinet has refused an FNC request to study the introduction and regulation of faith healing.

One of the 12 proposals the Federal National Council passed to the Cabinet this year on the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf was for them to study “how to regulate the activity of faith healing and specifying regulations to benefit from this activity, to ensure the activity is not abused”.

A response from Cabinet said the proposals were reviewed on October 12. The Cabinet approved all but two, one of which was the faith healing request.

The Council of Ministers said it was the FNC’s role to form a temporary committee to carry out the study as was discussed during a public session.

Hamad Al Rahoomi (Dubai), who has been pushing for the legalisation of this activity, protested against the dismissive response. He said it was the Government’s role to carry out the study. Over the past year Mr Al Rahoomi has made several pushes to introduce faith healing at hospitals and to allow imams to practise it by law.

The Minister of Health, Dr Abdulrahman Al Owais, refused the idea with stern responses.

He said faith healing was not related to the Ministry of Health’s work, adding that all healthcare services should be scientifically based.

“I stress again the Ministry of Health has no part in this, and everything in the ministry is regulated,” he said during a session in June last year.

“What Mr Al Rahoomi mentioned is spiritual and cannot be measured, and I hope we do not open this door again with the Ministry of Health.”

Although Dr Hamdan Al Mazroui, head of the General Islamic Authority, had no problem with faith healing, he said the law did not allow it.