The Saudi Grand Mufti: Insulting The Prophet is Not All Bad

The Saudi Grand Mufti: Insulting The Prophet is Not All Bad 

CDHR’s Commentary: In what seemed to be a Saudi government dictated statement, the Saudi Grand Mufti (top religious authority), Abdul Aziz Al-Alshaikh, asked Muslims not to react violently against those who defame Islam and depict Prophet Mohammed negatively. At the same time, the cleric cautioned “…that all Muslims are willing to sacrifice their lives and properties for the cause of their dear Prophet (pbuh).” Inexplicably, the Mufti told Muslims that belittling Prophet Mohammed ‘… only helps in spreading the glory of the Prophet (pbuh) with greater vigor.’ 

While advising the infuriated Muslim protesters to refrain from violence, the Saudi Mufti asked ‘the international community to take steps to criminalize any act of abusing great prophets and messengers such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them).’ It’s ironic that the head of the Saudi religious establishment, the Mufti, included the names of Moses and Jesus in the list of Prophets that must be glorified only. As per his divine instructions, Jews and Christians are not only forbidden from practicing their religious rituals publicly in Saudi Arabia, but if caught doing so privately, they can be punished and deported. In addition, this is the same Mufti who called for the destruction of Christian churches in the Arabian Peninsula.  

The Saudi Mufti’s advice to the mobs of trigger happy Muslim extremists has to be taken with a grain of salt. His overriding objective, which he shares with 56 Muslim countries that form the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is to abolish freedom of the press and all forms of expression worldwide. He considers and forbids all forms of assemblage (except praying in mosques) antithesis to content and teachings of the Muslim faith. The good news is that, the religious establishment is losing its credential in Saudi Arabia and around the world. This is due to the fact that clerics are using religion to justify repressive and backward state policies.