No More Fatuous Fatwas!

The word is out from Jedda:

Islamic scholars intending to publish religious edicts (fatwas) on contemporary issues have been told to contact experts at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs or Dar Al-Ifta (the Saudi fatwa authority) before approaching the media.

One of the reasons for keeping stricter control of fatwas is the war on terrorism--which the Islamic Affairs Minister admits that Saudi Arabia is doing a great job controlling:

He said he had noticed that some scholars were issuing fatwas on silly issues. "This will give a bad impression about the Kingdom being an Islamic state. We have so many other important issues to deal with. We have to confront terrorism and the move to link Islam and its Prophet (peace be upon him) with terrorism," he said.

...[Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh] Al-Asheikh underscored Saudi Arabia's success in combating terrorism and its efforts to change the mindset of militants through counseling. Foreign leaders and officials have appreciated these efforts.[emphasis added]

And don't think the rest of us don't appreciate the fine job the Saudis are doing:

• Cato Institute, November 2001: Terrorist Sponsors: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China
  
  
  
• JCPA, October 2003: Saudi Arabia's Dubious Denials of Involvement in International Terrorism
• CRS Report for Congress, December 8, 2004: Saudi Arabia: Terrorist Financing Issues
• The Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2006: Does Saudi Arabia Fund Terrorism?
• The Sunday Times, November 4, 2007: Saudi Arabia is hub of world terror
• Lost Angeles Times, April 2, 2008: Saudis faulted for funding terror
• Los Angeles Times, September 30, 2009: Saudi Arabia-based charities still funding terrorists, GAO says
• Sunday Times, March 28, 2010: Saudis fund Balkan Muslims spreading hate of the West

But maybe the rule about fatwas have a point if, as a result, Saudi religious leaders issue fatwa against terrorism:

The Council of Senior Ulema, the highest body of Muslim clerics in Saudi Arabia, has issued a important religious ruling (fatwa) against terrorism, saying that committing terrorist acts, and even funding them, was against Islamic law. The fatwa defines terrorism as "a crime aiming at destabilizing security" by attacking people or property, public or private. The document lists examples such as "blowing up of dwellings, schools, hospitals, factories, bridges, airplanes (including hijacking), oil and pipelines."

The council said that it "regards the financing of such terrorist acts as a form of complicity to those acts…to bring a conduit for sustaining and spreading of such evil acts."

"The Council rules that the financing of terrorism, the inception, help or attempt to commit a terrorist act of whatever kind or dimension, is forbidden by Islamic Sharia and constitutes a punishable crime thereby; this includes gathering or providing of finance for that end." The fatwa exempts "legitimate charity to help the poor" from this ban.

But it will take a lot more than just a fatwa.

Technorati Tag: Saudi Arabia and Fatwas.