Posted on 01/23/2005 11:29:17 AM PST by nickcarraway
MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- One of Saudi Arabia's most influential clerics urged Muslims to eschew terrorism, saying attacks on the innocent were not in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
"Islam is a religion of moderation. Extremism has no place in Islam," Sheikh Abdurahman Al-Sudais of the Masjid'l Haram (Grand Mosque) said in a sermon delivered for Friday's Eid'l Adha (feast of sacrifice).
He called on followers of Islam to exert all efforts to protect non-Muslims.
Hundreds of thousands of people, from among some 2.5 million Muslims performing the haj pilgrimage in the kingdom, attended the Eid'l Adha prayers.
Al-Sudais' call came in the wake of stepped up attacks by militant Muslims in troubled areas of the Middle East. Some of the attacks have occurred in Saudi Arabia, blamed on militants linked to the al-Qaeda network, which had declared the pro-US Saudi rulers apostates.
In the latest incident in Iraq, a suicide car bomb exploded at a Shi'ite wedding party in a town south of Baghdad late on Friday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 27, doctors said.
There has been a surge in attacks on Shi'ites as Iraq's January elections approach. Earlier on Friday, a suicide car bomber killed 14 Shi'ite worshippers as they left a Baghdad mosque.
Al-Sudais said Muslim scholars should help preach the real Islam to counter what he said was a distorted interpretation of the religion by some people.
"Islam is a religion of peace but some people are using misguided interpretations of Islam to justify (attacks on perceived enemies)," Al-Sudais said.
He said scholars might have to take some of the blame for the "little success" of distorted ideas because they had done little to counter their spread.
"We are now suffering from this dangerous phenomenon. This phenomenon has become widespread that Muslim scholars must hold on to the real Islam," Al-Sudais said.
'Repulsive hearsays'
Earlier, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia urged scholars to use all available materials to teach the correct form of Islam.
Sheik Abdul Aziz Al-Asheik told participants at an international inter-culture conference, which was hosted by the World Muslim League (WML), that Muslims would not have difficulty in establishing dialogues with other sectors because materials on Islam were widely available.
"Many non-Muslims know very little or nothing about Islam and depend on hearsays, which are repulsive and distorted," Al-Asheikh said.
He said people who hated Islam were claiming that the religion encouraged terrorism and extremism, and appeared to be winning in some aspects because some people were starting to think that what they were being told about Islam was the truth.
Exposing Islam's enemies
"It is only through constructive dialogue, led by people who understand Islam and its teachings, that the enemies of Islam could be exposed and their lies refuted," Al-Asheik said.
Al-Sudais said the branding of followers of other faiths as infidels and attempts to incite Muslims to rise against their leaders had caused instability not only in the region but in other areas of the globe, as well.
"Theirs is a delinquent and void interpretation of Islam based on ignorance," he said.
Islam does not mean killing non-Muslims, Al-Sudais said.
"It does not mean shedding blood and terrorism, such as killing people (by planting bombs) to send their body parts flying."
Bombings in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia has not been spared from terror attacks.
Bombings have scarred Riyadh, the country's capital, and militants identified with the al-Qaeda network have attacked facilities manned by foreigners.
In the wake of the violence, Saudi security forces have launched a manhunt for Saudi dissident Saad Al-Faqeeh, allegedly a ranking lieutenant of Osama Bin Laden.
Your slander attack against the OT could not be more ill-informed. I have read both it and the "holy" Koran. There is absolutely no sane comparison. One of them is utterly bloodthirsty in its calls for primitive oppression, murder, torture, misogyny, slavery and terror. If you cannot tell which one is which, then you are beyond help.
The enemy is not EVERY Muslim individual.
THE ENEMY IS ISLAM.
THE ENEMY IS THE KORAN.
THE ENEMY IS THE HADITH.
THE ENEMY IS SHARIAH.
These things all call for your forced submission to Islam.
These things call for the destruction of your church.
These things all call for the destruction of the Constitution.
These things all call for the destruction of America.
These things all call for the destruction of democracy and freedom around the globe.
AND THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THIS EVIL "RELIGION" WILL METASTACIZE IN THE MIND OF ANY ONE OF ITS "MODERATE" FOLLOWERS, TO THE DESTRUCTION OF MORE INNOCENT AMERICANS!
To defend this avowed enemy of America is TREASON!
Welcome back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, I'll read them, show me where they are!
And what of Muslims who were born here? Kill them?
Your bigotry is showing again...someone disagrees with you, so they must be endorsing MURDER?
Too much shoveling in the cold today must have affected your brain...
You should know Troll, it's the way all your posts are.
The MIGHTY BROADSWORD RETURNS!
Welcome back!
Pings
Geek is an attention-seeker--that's all there is to it.
He (she?) will repeat the same shrill, half-witted statements while avoiding the real jist of what anther poster says.
In other words: typical Troll.
How many times has Trollus Michiganus used biblical passages that neither Jew nor Christian has followed for ages; but "neglects" to mention that muslims still live in the 7th century?
Geekie loves to worry about the poor lil muslim might get their 'feelings' hurt wile he/she/it calls everyone that disagrees "Anti-American" or a "bigot"
Troll is as Troll does.
I would be very careful believing anything being siad from Mecca..Be careful. gain , what was said might have just been for Western comsumption..What he said In Arabis might have been different..
Let the Muslims who fear eradication come forth and denounce Islam, and they'll be OK, in the end.
and you'll trust that ? Where were these moderates all this while..Like on 9/12 ? huh answer that ? Or is it they are scared now , or just trying to get the heat off themselves now that Bush is around for another 4 years >?
"Rather good point - if we don't speak out for and support Muslims who campaign amongst themselves for moderation, then we'll never get moderation.
Let the Muslims who fear eradication come forth and denounce Islam, and they'll be OK, in the end."
Any muslim who comes out and condemns the ones that support terror either directly or those muslims who supoort it by their silence wWILL have my support.
That said---I'd to see some, and I'm not holding my breath
There is no peaceful, moderate Islam.
Like my father-in-law says, 'No Such Animal'.
Thanks for the ping!
Crusade '05 - Let's Roll.
Good grief! Just read what you wrote. Substitute the word "Christians" or "Jews" for the word "Islam" and you'd sound just like the terrorists.
Thats what I WAS saying
:-)
How about changing the Quran too to eliminate the parts about the eradiction of anyone not muslim and the world conquest of Islam!
As well, how about some civil wars worldwide with those advocating non-violence fighting their own that would gladly perpetrate it!
HMMMM!!!
Therte is no god named allah and Mohammed was a false prophet! Allahu fubar!
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