Author of Saudi Curriculums Advocates Slavery ("Slavery is a part of Islam," prominent scholar says)

Saudi Information Agency ^ | Nov. 7, 2003 | Ali Al-Ahmed

[Alouette]

(Washington)… November 7, 2003 …The main author of the Saudi religious curriculum expressed his unequivocal support for the legalization of slavery in one of his lectures recorded on a cassette and obtained exclusively by SIA news.

Leading government cleric Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan is the author of the religious books currently used to teach 5 million Saudi students, both within the and in Saudi schools aboard – including those in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

“Slavery is a part of Islam,” he says in the tape, adding: “Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam.”

Government spokesman Adel Al-Jubeir and other officials have repeatedly claimed religious curriculums are being reformed, but Al-Fawzan’s books continued to be used according to the minister of education’s statements published by Al-Watan daily September 14th, 2003.

Al-Fawzan is member of the Senior Council of Clerics, Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body, a member of the Council of Religious Edicts and Research, the Imam of Prince Mitaeb Mosque in Riyadh, and a professor at Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic University, the main Wahhabi center of learning in the country.

Al-Fawzan refuted the mainstream Muslim interpretation that Islam worked to abolish slavery by introducing equality between the races.

“They are ignorant, not scholars,” he said of people who express such opinions. “They are merely writers. Whoever says such things is an infidel.”

Al-Fawzan’s most famous book, “Al-Tawheed – Monotheism”, is taught to Saudi high school students. In it, he says that most Muslims are polytheists, and their blood and money are therefore free for the taking by “true Muslims.”

Among Al-Fawzan’s other controversial beliefs is the right to ban the marriage of Arab women to non- Arab Muslims, according to his book “Al-Mulkhas Al-Fiqhee” (“Digest of Law”). He has also issued a fatwa forbidden the watching of TV.

Al-Fwazan is also is a leading opponent of those who seek to introduce change to the Saudi school curriculum. He also claimed that elections and demonstrations are western imitations.

According to Saudi liberal writer and scholar Sheikh Hassan Al-Maliki, Al-Fawzan threatened him with beheading if he continued in his criticism of the extremist Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. Al-Maliki, who worked for the ministry of education, was fired after he wrote a 50- page paper criticizing Al-Fawzan’s book “Al-Tawheed”.

[Cultural Jihad]

"As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are round about you." (Leviticus 25:44)

"If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave, betrothed to another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, an inquiry shall be held. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free" (Leviticus 19:20)

"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money." (Exodus 21:20-21)

"When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing." (Exodus 21:2)

"O slave! Obey your masters in body with fear and trembling in your hearts as you do for Christ, not deceiving the eye as those who please people, but as slaves of Christ working God's will, serving with good intention as for God, not for people, knowing that whatever good you do, it will be accepted by God weather you were free or slave." (Ephesians1 6:5)

"Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed." (Timothy I 6:1)

[Centurion2000]

Never met a black man that was ever comfortable with the idea of slavery in any form.

Do you mean a black Americans or do you include Africans, not that I would have expected you to meet meny of them?

Any of them really .... I've actually met a lot of Nigerians in my college days ....

Nice guys but chivalry is not exactly up on their list of things to do ....

And they all spoke letter perfect English.

[onedoug]

You're not really that ignorant, are you?

[Kay Soze]

"Wonder what Farrakhan thinks about this."

Good one.

I wonder why the dont stand at the US Anthem but do love Islam and its love of slavery.

Islam also tolerates murder.

In Saudi they just targeted their own fellow Islam Arabs CHILDREN.

The adults seem to worship in the evening during this satanic time called rama damn while its only the children that are at home.

[Cultural Jihad]

No, I can read. Can't you?

[Alouette]

Care to name any Christian or Jewish clergy LIVING TODAY who endorse slavery?

[blam]

"It took the might of WESTERN British Empire to cut that nonsense off."

Yup, the Brits stationed the most powerful fleet in the world off the African coast to stop slavery.

[Kay Soze]

I am not a biblical scholar so I cannot presume the context these refer to.

But I don't know that we have moved well beyond this as Christians.

Islam has not advanced in any human or Godly endeavors nor has its practitioners.

[SandRat]

“Slavery is a part of Islam,” he says in the tape, adding: “Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam.”

From his own mouth he has stated what must be done. To merge his own words with a quote from old "Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam - Then let it exist no more! So let it be written so let it be done!"

[Kay Soze]

don't should read "do" .

I also am waiting for a current web link to an article written by a man of similar authority within the Christian circles advocating slavery.

just one.

Should not take more than a few minutes via google.

[Kay Soze]

Al-Maliki, who worked for the ministry of education, was fired after he wrote a 50- page paper criticizing Al-Fawzan’s book “Al-Tawheed”.

[onedoug]

Then you should know the differences in how the ancient Hebrews anchored Western civilization and today. Temple sacrifice and polygamy are no longer practiced therein either.

[Kay Soze]

No they had no need to position their fleet.

We as the single most powerful and technologically advanced nation the planet has yet seen cannot patrol a much smaller area (Mexican border) with any degree of success.

More efficient was to go to the source- the desire for slavery and attack it there.

[weegee]

“Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam are infidels.”

Conform or die.

[org.whodat]

I still think it horrid that American Southerners who went to church each Sunday had to be convinced by war to give up the practice of slavery..

Are you working for Dean. For one to tar every southern person with this statement is outrageous.

[Thoro]

They didn't. Abolitionist movements led by Christians in the North and South would have had slavery eradicated in the United States within another 20-30 years. The Civil War was about states rights, not slavery.

Shhh! You're not allowed to say that because we, the sheeple, don't want it to be true.

[Publius6961]

“Slavery is a part of Islam,” he says in the tape, adding: “Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam.”

Of course that's not really what he meant.
Just ask President Bush and our State Department.

As for me, I would respond that if slavery is inevitable, I would rather the sandmaggots be the slaves.
Historically, the losers have always been.

[Publius6961]

It took the might of WESTERN British Empire to cut that nonsense off.

It did?
Why, then, does it still exist?

[KantianBurke]

see post #15

[Publius6961]

What a banal post.

Comparing 2000 year-old customs to contemporary ones.

Really an intellectual tour de force.