Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, who serves as the grand mufti of Sifaudi Arabia, is calling for Kuwait to follow the lead of Saudi Arabia and ban the construction of any Christian religious site. While Islamic leaders like the Grand Mufti are outraged with any slight or restriction of their religion, they deny the most fundamental rights of free exercise to other religions in the name of Islam. This is nothing new for the Saudi cleric and his colleagues. He previously called for all churches to be destroyed in 2012. It is not clear if this is a repeat of his announcement a few years ago or a recycling of the earlier story. However, it is a shocking position from one of the highest Islamic clerics in the world and adds an insight into the recent religious violence in places like Syria and Iraq.
According to new reports, the cleric is calling again for the destruction of all churches in the Arabian Peninsula as legislation moves forward in Kuwait to bar the construction of non-Muslim religious sites.
Abdullah, who is considered to be the highest official of religious law in the Sunni Muslim kingdom, said that such intolerance is required by Islam. He serves as the head of the Supreme Council of Ulema (Islamic scholars) and of the Standing Committee for Scientific Research and Issuing of Fatwas. It is another example of how the underlying beliefs of ISIS are difficult to distinguish from some Islamic leaders, and allies of the United States. We discussed the disconnect earlier of Saudi Arabia beheading people accused of blasphemy or apostasy while denouncing ISIS for doing the same thing. Likewise, as ISIS destroys religious sites and artifacts, the Grand Mufti is calling for the same destruction.
Kuwait (which we invaded to liberate) would bar the construction of a church of those same soldiers to go to pray in their country. When we ask how such extremist groups get some of their intolerance and hatred, one can look at the Grand Mufti’s views and gain some insight. Until such Islamic clerics reverse long-standing anti-free speech and anti-free exercise views, the rise of these violent hate-filled movement will continue in my view.
Technically we did invade Kuwait to liberate it. Saddam had invaded and taken over Kuwait. Many nations joined to return Kuwait as a sovereign nation (we used to care about such things). We did get Saddam out of Kuwait, but left him in Iraq. Other Arab countries signed on to free Kuwait, but not to fight in Iraq.
Schwarzkopf could probably have gotten to Baghad and taken Saddam, but he got orders to stop. Historians will argue that decision for decades. If we had removed Saddam then, we couldn’t just pick up and leave. As we did after both World Wars we stayed to help rebuild the countries devastated by war, we would have done the same in Iraq.
If the order had gotten there after Saddam had been removed, what would the world be today?
Yes,we did, but not according to most around here
Every Muslim nation, every secular nation, every communist nation, etc, can destroy every Christian Church and destroy Christians lives…but God prevails!
@Jerome McCollom
I couldn’t agree more.
It is things like this that I am a supporter of the ACLU and pro church/state separation groups such as Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. I do not want the Christian versions of this (looking at you Huckabee, Palin, Ben Carson, Santorum and almost every Republican presidential candidate) to have power.
I am confused;. It’s okay to have mosques at ground -0- but we can’t have Christian places of worship at an allies country???? No one brought up a Zealot Fanatic here. I certainly don’t consider Jesus a Zealot
Jerome McCollom – as an agnostic I do not want any version of you running this country.
“Likewise, as ISIS destroys religious sites and artifacts, the Grand Mufti is calling for the same destruction.”
So Saudi Arabia has, for decades, destroyed religious sites and artifacts not related to their brand of Islam (Wahhabi, within a State monarchy)… They may not have called as ambitiously for the destroying of Christian sites, but in action certainly Islamic sites have already been destroyed.
ISIS is merely a more extreme brand of Saudi Arabia minus the organization and stability. Mix in our (with others) barbaric invasions, occupations, drones, etc. then a pretty radical ideology that results is not that difficult to understand.
Paul
So, you’re an agnostic. I, myself, am an aestheticist. I love the stained glass windows, cathedrals-especially late Romanesque, and music-especially when pagan meets Christian like in Carmina Burana. Jose’ Carreras singing Panis Angelicus makes me understand what the fuss is all about.
Issac
I now am beginning to understand you. I was just kidding about the Lewis Carroll. You are just so different you know?
Why can’t all of this religious brou ha ha end. I know Jesus would hate it as he wants us to love our enemy 😉
I think that here in America we can “chase out” those who do not believe in freedom and freedom of choice. So if we have Muslims who hate then we do not need them here to hate others. Now there is one category of humans whom we cannot kick out and that is Native Americans. We made treaties with the various tribes and must abide. But I think we could kick out all the Tsarboy family who are not yet citizens. Tsarboy is that perp who did the Boston Marathon Bombing. I think he is a citizen but he has relatives and pals who are terrorists in waiting who came from that former Soviet place which is full of Muslims. We should kick out Communists too. And German Nazis. We should kick out women who wear veils. Men who insist that women wear veils. We should be like France– secular– no veils or head scarves. Kill all PPs (Pedophile Priests) by castrating them and letting them bleed to death. PPs are worse than Muslims who hate.
These are not legitimate leaders in these countries. They are dictatorships ruled by military juntas and ‘royal’ families. Islam is a severely strict yet easily interpreted religion that serves as a tool for controlling those who can’t or don’t want to think for themselves. Giving them the credibility of a people and valuing the ‘people’s wishes’ is much more than a stretch. They are, perhaps, necessary to gauge how far Western secular society has evolved and stand as a reminder of what can happen when god is factored into the organization and running of a country. Thank goodness we have evolved past religious direction in the running of Western nations.
Squeeky….by most chopped off heads in the ME I meant by a legitimate nation state not terrorist groups or non-Arab states. Iran is Persian so not Arab middle easterners….they just plan to conquer all of them.
Squeeky…normally I agree with you, but must point our here that the KSA does far FAR more than just chase out or exile infidels or Muslim non-conformists. I believe at the moment they lead the race for most chopped off heads in the ME. Outsiders, however inoffensive, are restricted from traveling much in the country, and still are subject to the quasi-governmental religious police. THAT is why I refused a posting there.
I don’t want to tell them how to run their country…I just want no part of it. They are the locus of the ME until Muqtada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army moves on them, with Iranian backing. KSA is Sunni Wahabbist, and al Sadr is a radical Shiite. The next go round will make Kuwait’s little dust up look tiny.
Squeeky, I’m not talking about what people in other countries would do, I’m talking about what people like you in this country would do if they had half a chance.
@nga
You need to address your White Privilege issues. Other peoples in other lands are under no obligation to ascribe to your White Western values. You need to quit demeaning them just because they don’t agree with you.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Why is it no surprise that Squeeky would agree with “chasing out” other religions? Advocating a one religion society? Advocating punishment of homosexuals as she’s stated in the past. A Christian nation. A Squeeky Nation, extremist indeed.