The Council for Sharia Research and Studies at the Libyan Fatwa House stated that the tax imposed by the Central Bank of Libya on the purchase of foreign currency constitutes a "tax" prohibited by Sharia, and called for its immediate cancellation.
The Council for Sharia Research and Studies at the Libyan Fatwa House considered its continued implementation a form of usurpation and financial injustice against citizens.
The council affirmed in a statement that "taking money from people without clear compensation is a major sin," and described those who "impose or approve this tax, or issue a fatwa permitting it, as partners in the sin," citing prophetic hadiths and Quranic verses condemning financial injustice and the encroachment on public funds.
The council added that "Libya is an oil-producing country with stable resources, and the inability to manage state affairs does not justify the imposition of such taxes," especially in light of what it described as "widespread financial corruption, the expansion of official spending on travel and favors, and the unregulated transfer of funds abroad."
The Council described the Central Bank of Libya's justifications for maintaining market stability as "weak," noting that "the measure harmed the economy and undermined citizens' confidence in the national currency, contributing to a rise in the dollar price rather than a fall."
The statement concluded by endorsing "the court rulings issued to suspend the tax," calling on other Libyan courts to take similar steps. It emphasized that "those who permit this type of tax are legitimizing the unjust and aggressive encroachment on people's money, at a time when these funds are being used to cover illegal expenses and corrupt practices," the statement said.