Fatwa: Liberals Aren't Real Muslims

[*Arabman]

Saudi fatwa against liberals raises fears of violence

By Andrew Hammond

RIYADH (Reuters) - A religious edict by a prominent Saudi cleric suggesting liberals are not real Muslims has enflamed debate over reforms in the conservative Islamic state, with self-professed liberals fearing they will be attacked.

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that rules by strict application of Islamic law, giving clerics a powerful position in society, but Islamists fear that liberal reformers are gaining ground under the rule of King Abdullah.

Responding to an online request for a religious edict, or fatwa, Sheikh Saleh al-Fozan said last month: "Calling oneself a liberal Muslim is a contradiction in terms ... one should repent before God for such ideas in order to be a real Muslim."

The fatwa said that liberal in this context meant "freedom which is not subject to the bounds of sharia (Islamic law) and which rejects sharia laws, especially concerning women…"

"He who wants freedom with only the controls of man-made law has rebelled against the law of God," it said.

Fozan was recently forced to issue a clarification in Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh after Islamists hailed the fatwa as a declaration that liberals are infidels. He said pronouncing someone an infidel was a separate issue in Islamic law.

Such declarations, called takfeer in Arabic, are sensitive because al Qaeda militants fighting U.S.-allied governments in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and elsewhere in the region use the idea to justify their campaign of jihad, or holy war.

"Radicals say 'Sheikh Fozan has issued the fatwa and we should act accordingly', which is a little alarming," said Hamza Mozainy, a well-known critic of the Saudi system, referring to Islamist Web sites that welcomed the fatwa.

Novelist Turki al-Hamad, a long-time target of Saudi Islamists, also said the fatwa could lead to violence.

"Even if his (Fozan) intention is not calling for violence, the implication is violence," Hamad said.

Saudi Arabia's religious establishment has for long focussed its attention on the word "secular", which most Saudi reformers now avoid, but "liberal" has gained currency in its place.

Liberal and Islamist reformers both call for parliamentary elections limiting the desert country's absolute monarchy.

But many liberals also want to see clerical influence rolled back, with, for example, Saudi Arabia's religious police force disbanded and an end to strict gender segregation.

"When they hear 'liberalism' they perceive it as a form of moral corruption. They don't know it's a whole philosophy concerning freedom of the individual," Hamad said.

"These fatwas are a kind of defence mechanism against this spreading idea."

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsAr ... ived=False

[*Arabman]

Kudos to Sheikh Saleh al-Fozan.

[SummerRain]

Big up to all the liberal Muslims.

[Padishah]

Pissing off the Saudi's usually means you're doing something right. Not in the case of these 'Liberals', God damn them!

[SummerRain]

I cant stand Suadis wallahi, they are the biggest hypocrists ever. As much as I dislike this labelling of our religion I consider myself a liberal.

[muktaar]

[quote="Ismahan123"]I cant stand Suadis wallahi, they are the biggest hypocrists ever. As much as I dislike this labelling of our religion I consider myself a liberal. [/quote]


do u wear Hijaab?

[SummerRain]

[quote="muktaar"][quote="Ismahan123"]I cant stand Suadis wallahi, they are the biggest hypocrists ever. As much as I dislike this labelling of our religion I consider myself a liberal. [/quote]


do u wear Hijaab?[/quote]

Would U be judgmental of me if I didnt wear it?

[muktaar]

[quote="Ismahan123"][quote="muktaar"][quote="Ismahan123"]I cant stand Suadis wallahi, they are the biggest hypocrists ever. As much as I dislike this labelling of our religion I consider myself a liberal. [/quote]


do u wear Hijaab?[/quote]

Would U be judgmental of me if I didnt wear it? [/quote]

no, i would just say that u are very liberal indeed....

[SummerRain]

[quote="muktaar"][quote="Ismahan123"][quote="muktaar"][quote="Ismahan123"]I cant stand Suadis wallahi, they are the biggest hypocrists ever. As much as I dislike this labelling of our religion I consider myself a liberal. [/quote]


do u wear Hijaab?[/quote]

Would U be judgmental of me if I didnt wear it? [/quote]

no, i would just say that u are very liberal indeed....[/quote]

I wear it sometimes.

[Naaima]

Salam alaikum

Fatwa: Liberals Aren't Real Muslims..the title , subxabalah horta what's "not real muslim" and who is real muslim and who is not real muslim, and what is the different between them you can jugde a person out of his/her ideology and it doesnt mean that you are not "real muslim" if you dont follow basic pillars of islam or are liberal!!!

[muktaar]

[quote="Ismahan123
I wear it sometimes. [/quote]

inshallah the day will come when u will be wearing hijaab on full time basis, amiiin !

[SummerRain]

Amiin.

[Cilmiile]

Americans are not serious about the war on terror. Until they invade and totally destroy the religious and political power structures of the Saudi Kingdom they will not rest in peace.

Destroy the Saudi economy, impoverish them and leave them without any money to fund the terrorists of the world (such as the ICU) and the world becomes more peaceful.

[*Arabman]

[Americans are not serious about the war on terror. Until they invade and totally destroy the religious and political power structures of the Saudi Kingdom they will not rest in peace.

Destroy the Saudi economy, impoverish them and leave them without any money to fund the terrorists of the world (such as the ICU) and the world becomes more peaceful.]

America is broken, bankrupt, its army rusted, depleted and stretched to breaking point. It can't afford to invade another Muslim country.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

[Cilmiile]

[quote="*Arabman"][Americans are not serious about the war on terror. Until they invade and totally destroy the religious and political power structures of the Saudi Kingdom they will not rest in peace.

Destroy the Saudi economy, impoverish them and leave them without any money to fund the terrorists of the world (such as the ICU) and the world becomes more peaceful.]

America is broken, bankrupt, its army rusted, depleted and stretched to breaking point. It can't afford to invade another Muslim country.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/[/quote]


But it can afford to cripple it. Fock with us and no more oil, should be the motto. Level Jeddah. Level all the refineries. Destroy all the ports. Let the Saudis middle classes who are the ones perpetuating the terrorism suffer and lose the lifestyle they became accustomed.

All from a safe distance done via a cruise missile.