Lebanon is the one state in the Arab world that does not have an official religion. State actors are caught between pious donors, some of whom are leery of the efficiency and rectitude of official structures, and security-minded officials, who have faced increasing international pressures to ensure that such funds are not used in ways that are politically unsafe (such as supporting radical or violent groups). Outside of schools, whether public or private, also stand less formal systems that offer lessons in mosques, churches, and study groups. First, they regulate and frequently administer religious endowments often set up to support mosques, schools, or charitable causes. States generally do not have a full monopoly over education-many countries also have a network of private schools, sometimes more prestigious than public ones. Lebanon does have state schools, but many Lebanese prefer to enroll their students in private schools, which a majority of schoolchildren attend-and where religious affiliation is common. Each of these religious bureaucracies also faces competition from outside the state apparatus, adding a further layer of complexity.

Official religious actors-generally based in a given country’s ministry of religious affairs-play a vital part in overseeing charities. Non-Muslims are exempt from official instruction about Islam, and if believers of other religions are sufficient in number, the state may allow them their own parallel religious classes and books, sometimes organized and licensed by a given country’s ministry of education. The Abrahamic religions believe in a judging, paternal, fully external god to which the individual and nature are both subordinate. The multiconfessional nature of Lebanon makes it impossible for the state to teach religion. Most states in the region have a mufti (which in Arabic translates as a fatwa giver), whose opinions are sought by state actors needing guidance on questions of religious law. This is even true in the one Arab country that does not have an official religion, Lebanon; see box 1.) In most countries, personal status law is handled in courts that are simply a branch of the regular court system.

But there is no way to compel believers to resort to official bodies or designated figures in search of such guidance. So, if you’re really looking for a miserable way to die, jumping into a volcano might just be the way to do it. There’s lava under the entire city and every sewer manhole is a volcano spout. Sunni Muslims, for instance, are governed by legislation that recognizes their full independence in religious affairs and charity. But for the most part, Lebanon’s civil courts and its political authorities defer to the sectarian courts and allow them full autonomy.6 The courts and religious leadership are thus organically linked to their own communities, but they speak with the power and authority of the Lebanese state on matters under their purview. Lebanon’s constitution not only avoids any mention of an official religion but, as amended in 1989, commits itself to the abolition of political “confessionalism.”5 Though confessionalism is not comprehensively defined in the text, it is understood as a system in which specific shares in state institutions are reserved for different religious communities and political arrangements are, effectively, negotiated among their leaders.

Talk of “unregulated fatwas,” which are portrayed by religious authorities as being of poorer quality than those produced by official religious representatives, has intensified in official media in many Arab countries. Indeed, in most countries of the region, those establishing a legally sanctioned endowment find themselves having to act through such a ministry. Ministries in some countries have branched out from traditional endowments to engage in broader developmental projects designed to help the poor or unemployed, such as establishing producer cooperatives. I have other ongoing projects on early modern philosophy and general philosophy of science. And be sure you have enough money for whichever route you take. On Hanukkah, there is a tradition of giving real or chocolate coins as presents to children, called “gelt”, which means “money” in Yiddish. Other religious affairs are administered in a similar manner, by recognizing sectarian autonomy but also giving sectarian leaders a degree of state authority. Ministries of religious affairs generally oversee the staffing, maintenance, and operation of mosques. Second, almsgiving is often organized by ministries of religious affairs as well. This includes partnerships with other muftis across different states as well as coordination with government agencies focused on social welfare and community development.