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Arabia
New Saudi Fatwa forbids killing of non-Muslims
2003-08-23
Saudi Arabia's chief cleric deemed it a sin for Muslim to kill non-Muslims in a religious ruling meant to counter terrorism. Muslims who kill or rape non-Muslims or steal their money are committing not jihad, but "great sin (and) causing harm to themselves," Grand Mufti Abdul-Aziz al-Sheik said in the fatwa issued Thursday and carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
This looks like more on the fatwa we were talking about yesterday...
The mufti called for "true understanding of religion, especially the meaning of jihad (holy war) for the sake of God." Islamic extremists have declared jihad against the West and Arabs seen as supporting the West, but al-Sheik argued in his fatwa that only spiritual leaders can declare jihad. Al-Sheik's fatwa came one day after two suicide bombings targeted civilians and UN officials in Jerusalem and Baghdad.
Either of which claimed more lives than the Riyadh bombings in May...
Last week, the Saudi Council of Senior Clerics issued another fatwa condemning terrorists and urging citizens not to help them.
That's a different body from the Supreme Council on Global Jihad, mind you...
The Mufti also urged Muslims on Thursday to shun extremism and avoid waging unjustified jihad (holy struggle). Grand Mufti told Saudis to listen to their religious authorities and ignore fanatic interpretations of Islam or risk "banning God's bounty." "One of the fall-outs from extremism in understanding Islam is that some people call for jihad for the sake of God without justification," Sheikh Abdul-Aziz said.
It's an Islamic vanity thing...
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#7  No way! They're our friends!

How's our JDAM production coming?
Posted by: Matt   2003-8-23 10:22:29 PM  

#6  On the plausible deniability line of thought, it has occurred to me that the Saudis might be financing an even bigger operation than 9/11, and want to get their ducks in a row before the operation is carried out. Wouldn't put it past them.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2003-8-23 9:41:16 PM  

#5  Sounds like the Saudi government is finally using the power of the purse to get the clerics to stop fomenting terror. The next step is for the Saudis to start monitoring private donations funneled towards Islamist religious schools. Until they do that, the only thing they've achieved here is plausible deniability, which may, of course, be their only intention.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2003-8-23 9:09:42 PM  

#4  Well that clears everything up for me. Islam, the Religion of Guess My Mood™ is remarkably flexible, though it is the precise and exact Word of God™. Last month, the Grand Doodah was very much in favor of wiping all infidels off the face of the Earth, as he had stated more than once since 9/11. Today, it's a "great sin" because, uh, cuz, um, we say so. Yeah, that's the ticket. Only we Spiritual Leaders can declare jihad - which now means "holy war"... Yeah, last month our overpaid sniveling apologists spokesmen were telling you it meant "to struggle" and was about a True Believer's internal "battles" against temptation - not holy war against infidels. Nope. No way - we're the Religion of Peace™. You were wrong. Then. Now it means Holy War. But you can only do the Holy War Jihadi-stuff when we say it's okay. When we Spiritual Leaders™ issue you a fatwa. No fatwa, no jihad - got it? So, that settles that little misunderstanding. Sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused. Everyone killed by Jihadis who mistakenly believed they were engaged in Holy War are now, uh, er, um, dead. No, wait, they're in Paradise™. Yeah, that's it, Paradise™. So it's okay, got it? No reason to be mad or upset or anything. We were prolly just misquoted by your infidel press cuz the Qu'uran is the exact Word of God™. Yep. One little misquote and Poof! Big Mess™. But it's all fixed, now. They all got raisins virgins, too. Yep. See? Here's the fatwa that sez so. Oops, the ink's smearing. Still wet. Bizzy, bizzy. Okay. All clear now, right? K. Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along.
Posted by: .com   2003-8-23 7:48:24 PM  

#3  Do "non-Muslims" include infidels?
Posted by: True German Ally   2003-8-23 3:44:32 PM  

#2  Matt---It's a start, we gonna live, I feel better about myself today. (/sarcasm)
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-8-23 3:07:10 PM  

#1  OK. So this guy is the best you can come up with for a moderate? He's willing to let us live?
Posted by: Matt   2003-8-23 2:39:16 PM  

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