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| Arabia |
| Saudi cleric says don't pray for "infidel" downfall |
| 2009-09-06 |
| Muslims should avoid prayers that call for the destruction of non-Muslims, an influential Saudi cleric said. Many mosque Imams and preachers in some Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, close their Friday sermons with prayers that call for the destruction of Islam's enemies, especially Israel and its allies. "Praying for the ruin and the destruction of all infidels is not permitted because it goes against God's law to call upon them ... to take the righteous path," Sheikh Salman al Awdah told Dubai-based MBC Television channel. "Calling for their offspring and ancestors to be eradicated is not legitimate ... (except) for the tyrants among the infidels and those who violate the sanctities and harm the faithful," he said. Awdah, whose criticism of the Saudi ruling family in the 1990s earned him praise from Osama bin Laden, has since denounced the Saudi-born al Qaeda leader and said his network was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people. Awdah is a director of the Arabic edition of the website Islam Today and he has a number of TV shows and newspapers articles. Bin Laden had cited Awdah's writings in his statements before the latter urged him last year to abandon violence. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #4 Maybe he said kafir. IIUC, in the french salafist scene, the slang for non-muslims is "cafards", cockroaches, as it pronounces about the same as kafirs or kafrs. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2009-09-06 16:23 |
| #3 Lots of wiggle room there to call for the destruction of Israel, the death of Americans because they are tyrants or have failed to convert or have harmed Muslims ..... |
| Posted by: lotp 2009-09-06 16:18 |
| #2 So, how well is this religious message received in Saudi Arabia? I thought so. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-09-06 12:40 |
| #1 Wouldn't expect him to pray for "infidel" downfall, why should he when he is an infidel? Infidel was first used in Middle English circa 1460 (adjective, noun), from the Middle French infidèle, and from Latin infidelis "unfaithful," later "unbelieving", in the 15c. meaning "a non-Christian" (especially a Saracen I.E. muslim) Maybe he said kafir. |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-09-06 11:33 |