Grand Mufti Hits Out at Critics of Islam

Arab News ^ | January 16, 2005 | Abdul Wahab Bashir

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

JEDDAH, 16 January 2005 — Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom’s grand mufti, said the people who attack Islam accusing it of encouraging terrorism and extremism and denying human rights are telling lies and know very well they are spreading falsehood.

Speaking at a conference organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League on inter-culture dialogue, Al-Asheikh said critics of Islam are driven by their enmity of the faith. He called upon Muslims to project the true face of Islam without any excesses or compromises.

“The accusations directed against Islam by those who accuse it of terrorism, extremism and disrespect for human rights and freedom come from people who know they are telling lies. They know very well that what they say (against Islam) is false and deep inside they know they are committing injustice and aggression by behaving the way they do. It is the enmity against Islam deep inside them that drives them to attack Islam,” he told the delegates from different countries.

The conference which coincides with the annual pilgrimage to Makkah aims at preparing the ground for a fruitful and sustained dialogue with non-Muslims to remove misunderstandings about Islam among non-Muslims, achieve understanding and coexistence between different cultures, unite world efforts to confront the common challenges facing humanity and ensure respect for cultural diversity and work to bridge differences between cultures and civilizations.

Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki said the MWL is pioneering a project for the establishment of a permanent center for inter-faith dialogue to be based in a European country and act as a bridge between Islam and other cultures.

The grand mufti said Muslims should benefit from the many available media and other information outlets to spread Islam among the intellectuals and educated of the world.

“Many non-Muslims know very little or nothing about Islam and depend on hearsay, which is usually repulsive and distorted information... They think that what they hear and what they are told about Islam is the truth. It is only through constructive dialogue led by people who very well understand Islam and its teachings that the enemies of Islam could be exposed and their lies refuted.”

Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed told the delegates that dialogue is a “pressing human necessity” and a means for arriving at a higher degree of understanding and coexistence among peoples and countries of the world.

“Saudi Arabia firmly believes that working to serve humanity through dialogue would achieve world peace and ensure security for all by reducing the possibility of confrontation and conflict among civilizations. Dialogue would also unite the efforts to address the problems facing humanity, notably terrorism,” he said.

Prince Abdul Majeed stressed the need for internal dialogue among Muslims themselves, saying this would enable the Ummah to come together and collectively work to end dissent and prevent the seeds of extremism from taking roots.

Dr. Al-Turki said constructive and fruitful dialogue would only be possible when people “free themselves from the superiority complex and stop playing the role of guardians over others”, adding that “superiority and arrogance based on material achievements have led the world to two devastating wars and may lead it into more unjust wars launched under the pretext of defending freedom, human rights and globalization”.

[processing please hold]

I've read that.....that's all I can say...it's...

[Bahbah]

Thank you very much. I didn't make any snap judgments. I read everything I could find after 9/11 and watched as much as I could: people like Ibrahim Hooper and that Lanny Davis like Saudi spokesman, for example. Eventually, the light goes on. They are Koran driven (not a good thing) and they are liars.

[RightWhale]

Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh

How's the mirror now, Al-Abdul? Nice and bright?

[dennisw]

Taqiyya and kitman: The role of Deception in Islamic terrorism

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1320513/posts

[airborne]

“Many non-Muslims know very little or nothing about Islam and depend on hearsay, which is usually repulsive and distorted information... They think that what they hear and what they are told about Islam is the truth. It is only through constructive dialogue led by people who very well understand Islam and its teachings that the enemies of Islam could be exposed and their lies refuted.”

Who does he think he's kidding?

Our liberal media, our liberal court system and our liberal public education system have been bending over backwards to "be sensitive"!

And it's a known fact that "the enemies of Islam" means anyone who isn't a Muslim.

What an a$$!

[Natural Law]

I don't think anyone in the US would know or care anything about Islam until it violently injected itself into our psyche. Someone needs to tell the "Grand" Mufti to read Matthew 7:3

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

[tet68]

Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki said the MWL is pioneering a project for the establishment of a permanent center for inter-faith dialogue to be based in a European country and act as a bridgehead for Islam to infiltrate other cultures.


There, that's better.

[tet68]

“Saudi Arabia firmly believes that working to serve humanity through dialogue would achieve world peace and ensure security for Muslims by reducing the possibility of confrontation and conflict among civilizations. Dialogue would also unite the efforts to address the problems facing humanity, notably infidel Dhimmis,” he said.

See, it isn't so hard to understand.

[ViLaLuz]

Thanks for this interesting link!

[Bars4Bill]

The accusations directed against Islam by those who accuse it of terrorism, extremism and disrespect for human rights and freedom come from people who know they are telling lies. They know very well that what they say (against Islam) is false and deep inside they know they are committing injustice and aggression by behaving the way they do. It is the enmity against Islam deep inside them that drives them to attack Islam.

Sheikhs tend to be long-winded, Oprahesque, non-theological crybaby "victims," much like American 'Rats. They never STFU.

My opposition to Islam is rooted in the fact that Islam is a lie and a POS.

[dagogo redux]

Well, now, IMHO he's an OK Mufti, but I'm not really so sure I'd call him a Grand Mufti, now, would you?

[ClearBlueSky]

The more I learn about Islam, the more there is to hate.

[John Lenin]

[hgro]

This guy is losing his head over Muslin atrocties.

[Samurai_Jack]

I learned everything I needed to know about islam on Sept 11th 2001

[stboz]

?Many non-Muslims know very little or nothing about Islam and depend on hearsay, which is usually repulsive and distorted information... They think that what they hear and what they are told about Islam is the truth. It is only through constructive dialogue led by people who very well understand Islam and its teachings that the enemies of Islam could be exposed and their lies refuted.?

That ain't good enough. We ragheads (or is it "sheetheads?) want 'em dead!

[jan in Colorado]

>>>>>>>the people who attack Islam accusing it of encouraging terrorism and extremism and denying human rights are telling lies and know very well they are spreading falsehood.<<<<<<<


Oh yeah, I forgot. Islam is a religion of peace.

Where is the evidence for that?

Thanks for posting the article Lando!

[SunkenCiv]

* -- Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling on citizens and expatriates to inform on suspected extremists engaged in terrorist activities. The committee that issues religious rulings, headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, "urges citizens and (foreign) residents to inform on anyone planning or preparing to carry out an act of sabotage," the Saudi Press Agency reported. The aim is to "protect the people and the country from the destructive effects of such actions and to shield the planners themselves from the consequences of their actions," the fatwa said. The committee condemned the recent attacks in the Kingdom and urged extremists to "fear God Almighty and come to their senses." It said it issued the edict in response to inquiries about "the appalling events of the past few weeks," which have seen an escalation in the terror campaign blamed on Al-Qaeda sympathizers. Some 85 people have been killed and hundreds injured in a wave of violence which began in May 2003. In one of the bloodiest episodes, 22 people were killed when gunmen went on a shooting rampage and seized hostages in Alkhobar. Authorities have promised large financial rewards for those who help catch most-wanted militants or thwart attacks.

[SunkenCiv]

Grand Mufti regarding Valentine's Day

[SunkenCiv]

* -- the descendants of Abdul-Wahhab have proved vital partners to the House of Saud, crucially conferring Islamic legitimacy on its rule. The direct descendants of Abdul-Wahhab take the name of Al-Asheikh. This relationship continues today. The current top cleric in the kingdom, the Grand Mufti, is Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al-Asheikh. He is also the chairman of the Council of Senior Ulema (religious scholars). Usually it advises on religious questions. The Council of Senior Ulema has one particularly crucial role. It will be the task of the Council, when King Fahd dies, to declare the new king, "the prince who is given the oath of allegiance by the royal family," an imam (Muslim leader). This can only be done on a fatwa (judgement) from this Council that the succession is legitimate. If there is competition on who will be the next king, when the ailing King Fahd finally dies, there will be competing pressures on the Council by the supporters of rival candidates.