An open update to coaches and ICF chapters across the MENA region and Muslim-majority countries.

Over the past year, I have shared my critical footnotes and commentary on the ICF Code of Ethics (Board approved October 2024). Today I want to give a public update on where that work stands, what comes next, and how each of our chapters can take part.

Read my earlier article: The ICF Code of Ethics from a Muslim Perspective: A Commentary

What we have done so far

• Annotated commentary: a section-by-section reading of the ICF Code of Ethics with 23 footnotes, highlighting where its wording places Muslim coaches in tension with their faith, conscience and local law.
• “A Call for Greater Cultural Inclusivity in the ICF Code of Ethics”: a summary letter prepared for the ICF ethics team and global leadership.
• January 2026: together with my colleague Asma Chaudhry, I presented this work to the ICF Ethics Advocacy Team in an open and respectful conversation.
• The concerns were heard and carried forward to ICF leadership. ICF has confirmed that our feedback is recorded for consideration in the next Code Review, slated to begin in early 2028.
• October 2026: I formally registered my interest in serving on the 2028 Code of Ethics Review Team.

The key concerns, in brief

• Tone of the pledge: the Code states that no one may opt out of, modify or amend any part of it. The language reads as legalistic policing rather than an invitation to shared commitment.
• Enumerated identity lists: listing specific categories can feel culturally prescriptive and may exclude those not listed. A principle-based formulation (“no discrimination on any grounds”) travels better across cultures.
• Respect as adab: our tradition distinguishes respecting the person (adab, courtesy, dignity) from endorsing every behavior or identity. The Code should make room for that distinction.
• Politically loaded terminology: some DEIB terms carry specific Western political meanings. In a global professional code, neutral ethical language serves everyone better.
• Translation accuracy: the Arabic translation departs from the English text in places (for example, “spiritual practice” rendered as “spiritual beliefs”), which changes meaning for Arabic-speaking coaches.

What we propose

• Move from prescriptive to principle-based, context-sensitive language.
• Anchor respect in adab: engage difference with courtesy, without requiring ideological conformity.
• Establish a Cross-Cultural Ethics and Translation Review Board, with representation from Muslim-majority cultures and qualified linguists to audit translations and core concepts.
• Pilot revised language in diverse regions and gather structured feedback from accredited schools, including Islamic institutions, before global rollout.

A caveat on representation

The Muslim world holds many schools of thought, and not every voice draws on the Islamic belief system and the integral elements of Maqasid al-Shari’ah (the higher objectives of Islamic law). Meaningful representation in the review should therefore come from people well informed in Islamic ethics, and independent of any stake in accreditation or business revenue. I hold myself to the same standard: as an ICF-accredited education provider and credential holder, I too may carry bias. This is why I will be recommending recognized scholars in Islamic ethics to support the process.

An invitation to our chapters

To the ICF chapters across the Gulf, the Levant, North Africa and the wider Muslim world:

• Read the Code of Ethics with your members, in both Arabic and English, and note where it creates tension with conscience or local law.
• Hold structured conversations and document your feedback, so it is ready when ICF opens the consultation.
• Watch for the call for volunteers for the 2028 Code Review Team, expected in early 2028, and encourage qualified members to apply.
• Reach out to me if you would like to coordinate a regional response.

Download the commentary

Download my annotated commentary on the ICF Code of Ethics (PDF): Download the commentary (PDF). The first page links to the official ICF Code in English and Arabic, so you can read both versions side by side.

Our intention is not to dilute ethical standards, but to strengthen their global relevance. A truly global Code of Ethics should unite cultures under shared human values, without imposing one perspective over another.

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