Al-Ghaith Denounces Suicide Bombings
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH, 10 February 2005 — The head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice yesterday denounced terrorism, and specifically suicide attacks, citing verses from the Holy Qur’an that prohibits taking one’s life.

Sheikh Ibrahim ibn Abdullah Al-Ghaith said suicide terror attacks carried out by militants were “unacceptable by religion, reason and tradition.”

While any condemnation of suicide bombings is welcome, this one–coming from the the head of the religious police–offers thin gruel.

It’s great that he condemns suicide bombings against Muslims and those under Muslim protection (i.e., foreigners working in Muslim countries). But he doesn’t go far enough at all in condemning the practice universally.

Those who “fight occupation” can also very well be terrorists. It is not the end, but the means that are damned. He needs to go back to his books and do more reading if this is the best he can come up with.