Saudi Grand Mufti: Twitter Users Are Clowns

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti said Thursday that ythe outh are wasting their time by using the Internet, especially social media sites like Twitter. The daily al-Watan quoted Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh as saying, “Twitter has become a gathering place for every clown and corrupter who post tweets that are illegitimate, false and wrong.”

The Grand Mufti has become increasingly critical of Twitter users recently. In January 2012 he said the social network “has become a platform for trading accusations and for promoting lies used by some just for the sake of fame.” Then in October he called people who use the site “fools” and accused them of lacking modesty and faith.

Twitter has become a major platform for Saudi to exchange ideas and debate political issues in the country. A recent survey said 51% of internet users in Saudi Arabia are active Twitter users, putting it in first place worldwide. A Saudi official admitted last month that the government is struggling to monitor and censor the site due to the huge volume of messages posted by users inside the country.

Do Not Expose Corrupt Officials, Saudi Mufti Says

Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh. (Source: SPA)

Saudi Grand Mufti said he opposes exposing corrupt individuals publicly, adding that there are officials who are responsible for punishing those corrupt individuals. “The solution is by raising awareness and warning against corruption and its consequences in this life and the afterlife,” said Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alshekih during a speech he gave at Dammam University Saturday according to al-Hayat daily.

This comes in contrast to statements he made last year when he called on monitoring bodies to expose corrupt officials, especially those who take bribes. “Those must be stopped and punished,” he said as reported in Okaz daily on May 15, 2012.

This reversal is not surprising because Wahhabi clerics generally oppose criticizing officials in public. “In the Wahhabi worldview, politics became religious when it was concerned with relationship between ruler and ruled, obedience being the only possible relationship, with secret advise by people of knowledge allowed only after praising the ruler for his good deeds,” writes academic Madawi al-Rasheed.

Ahead of Appointing Women to Shoura, Saudi Grand Mufti Warns Against Gender Mixing→

The Associated Press:

Saudi Arabia’s top cleric on Friday warned against the mixing of the genders, saying it poses a threat to female chastity and society, as the kingdom prepares for the first time to grant women seats on the country’s top advisory body.

Delivering his traditional Friday sermon, Grand Mufti Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al-Sheik said authorities must adhere to Shariah, or Islamic law, by ensuring men and women are separated as much as possible at all times. The cleric’s comments come just weeks ahead of allowing women to be members of the 150-member Shura Council, the country’s top advisory body.

Speculation has been mounting about how many women would be appointed and who are these women. Elaph reported in December that only 15 women are expected to join the council when new members are announced in two weeks. But for female activists like Hatoon al-Fassi, a symbolic representation of women will not be enough. “At the end we are not behind the scenes,” she said. “We are asking for equality and for half of the council, or what is 75 seats.” This is highly unlikely, but al-Fassi and other activists have no other choice but to push the government for more reforms even if the government is not listening.

Religious Police for Other Countries Suggested, Minimum Age for Marriage Opposed

It seems that Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia are up to no good. Meeting Tuesday in the holy city of Medina, they came up with this:

All Islamic countries should have a committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia), which would ensure correct practices among Muslims. Islamic countries would benefit from having such a body and could take advantage of the Kingdom’s experience in this field.

And in the holy city of Mecca, a meeting chaired by the Saudi Grand Mufti opposed setting up a minimum age for women to get married. A restriction on marriage age that some activists are seeking will not solve the problem of underage marriages, the religious scholars said.

“The application of Sharia statutes in marriage is the effective solution to guarantee the rights of minors to choose their husband and life partner,” they said, adding that incriminating underage marriages is “unacceptable.”

Public Criticism of Rulers is Wrong, Says Saudi Grand Mufti→

People should not criticize the rulers publicly, said Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh, the daily al-Riyadh reported Thursday. “Criticizing the rulers publicly, on websites and evil satellite channels, and criticizing the society is wrong,” he said, adding that such criticism indicates “corruption of ethics and faith.” The Mufti explained that the correct method to advise the rulers is do that privately “between us and them.” ↬ @Asem

Don’t Speak to Foreign Media, Saudi Mufti Says

Contacting foreign television channels to talk about the issues of Saudi Arabia is haram, said Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh Friday according to the local Okaz daily. The Mufti made these remarks during his Friday sermon that he gave at Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in the capital Riyadh. Describing the act of speaking to foreign media as “treason”, the Mufti said the only lawful way to express criticism is through writing directly to officials.

Saudi Grand Mufti: People Who Use Twitter Are Fools

Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh (Source: SPA)

Saudi Grand Mufti is not a big fan of Twitter. Asked by al-Riyadh about “libel and serious accusations waged on social networking sites,” Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh reportedly said:

Twitter and similar websites are founded upon lies and defamation, people who use them are fools and lack modesty and faith, and quackery is clear in their writings

This is not the first time the Mufti speaks against social media. In January he said Twitter “has become a platform for trading accusations and for promoting lies used by some just for the sake of fame.”