Saudi clerics say no place for terrorism in Islam

Saudi Arabia’s top religious body says it was prohibited under Islamic sharia law to join fighting

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s top religious body on Wednesday warned Muslims against joining militant groups, saying their “deviant doctrine” has no place in Islam.

The Council of Senior Ulema, a group of top Muslim scholars, said it was prohibited under Islamic sharia law to join the fighting.

It called for the prosecution of “inciters” involved in recruiting militants to join the conflicts in Iraq and Syria.

“Terrorism... has nothing to do with jihad (holy war) in the name of Allah. Islam has nothing to do with this deviant doctrine,” the council said in a statement. The council’s head, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al Sheikh, last month branded al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) extremist group “enemy number one” of Islam.

The religious council’s stance reflects the Saudi clerical community’s hostility towards IS militants, known for their brutality. IS fighters - already well established in Syria - have seized vast swathes of territory in neighbouring Iraq since June.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2014.