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Suicide Attacks on Invading Forces Permitted: Tantawi
CAIRO: Suicide attacks on the US-led coalition in Iraq are permitted under (Islamic) religious law, the sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni Muslim spiritual authority, Muhammad Sayed Tantawi, said yesterday. "Martyr operations against the invading forces are permitted under religious law," he said, quoted by the official MENA news agency. Tantawi described the invasion of Iraq to oust the regime of Saddam Hussein as an unjust aggression. "Whoever attacks others, spilling blood, harming the other's honor and land is a terrorist," he added, referring to the US-led coalition. Tantawi, however, said the US-led war was not a crusade against Islam since many Christian nations and religious leaders, including Pope John Paul II, have opposed it. He also indirectly criticized the Iraqi and the Kuwaiti leaders. "Saddam Hussein should have accepted a call from the United Arab Emirates last month to resign in order to prevent war," he said. "Had this initiative gone through, it would have preserved the blood of many Muslims and we would not be seeing the massacres under way against the Iraqi people." I never thought that was going to happen. I don't think the Arabs did, either... Tantawi described Iraq's August 1990-February 1991 occupation of Kuwait as a terrorist act. He also criticized Kuwait, without actually naming the emirate, saying when an Arab country enlists the help of foreign forces against another Arab country for no reason, this is treason to religion. Yep. We know which side he's on, too... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-04-06 |
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