|
Sheikh Khudair renounces his religious edicts
Sheikh Ali bin Khudair al-Khudair, a well-known Saudi cleric who aired extremist views, has repented and withdrawn religious edicts and support for 19 al-Qaeda suspects following a deadly suicide bombing in Riyadh.Changed his mind, did he? "We issued support for those 19 before the events of Riyadh ... and some of them came to us, it was perceived they were innocent ... and we voiced our support for them, but when the (Riyadh) events took place we discovered that we had acted hastily and regret it. It was wrong," Khudair said in an interview aired on Saudi television late Monday. "They lied to me!" Asked how he viewed the attack on the Al-Muhaya compound in Riyadh which killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 120, Khudair said: "No doubt it is wrong. I condemn it and I denounce it." The cleric withdrew the fatwas or edicts that had sanctioned resisting and fighting Saudi security authorities who have launched massive manhunts and arrested hundreds in a crackdown on armed Islamist extremists. Humm, think the security authorities have objected to his fatwas? "Of course it has become clear they were wrong ... these fatwas are wrong," he said, adding, "I have renounced these fatwas and this is a clear message to listeners that I have renounced them. "It is forbidden to kill them without a doubt." Al-Khudair, who was arrested three months ago for supporting the 19 Saudi militants wanted by the authorities, urged the remaining suspects to give themselves up. Gee, I guess that somebody did have a "talk" with him. The cleric also withdrew fatwas that had declared Saudi scholars and thinkers Turki al-Hamad, Mansur al-Naqeedan and Abdullah Abu-Samh as infidels. Responding to whether or not he thought jihad, or holy war, was sanctioned in Iraq, Khudair said he didnât think it was appropriate, maintaining that what was taking place in Iraq was "sedition". "Thank you for your comments, Sheikh Khudair." "Are we off the air? OK, officer, you can take the electrodes off now" Posted by: Steve 2003-11-18 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=21409 |