Saudi Sheikh Salman Al-Oudah (also transcribed Al-’Awdah) does make big news here. Al-’Awdah is a major conservative cleric, who spent five years in jail from the mid-1990s for being too reactionary for even the Saudi government. He has moderated his tone since his release, but has still tended toward a jihadist hard line on the politics of Islam. His repudiation of Bin Laden and his projects is a major shift, as this Arab News article spells out. Al-’Awdah’s influence is significant and should help to dissuade at least some young Saudis from joining the ranks of terrorists. Do read the whole piece.

Oudah Denounces Bin Laden’s Ideology
Khaled Al-Awadh, Arab News

BURAIDAH, 17 September 2007 — In a major blow to the ideology of Osama Bin Laden and his followers in the Kingdom, Sheikh Salman ibn Fahad Al-Oudah, a popular Saudi religious scholar, has criticized the way in which Bin Laden has ruined Islam’s global image. “We as scholars of Islam reject what Osama does,” Al-Oudah wrote in an open letter posted on his website www.islamtoday.com. Al-Oudah also questioned the validity of Al-Qaeda using violence. “What have we gained from the destruction of a whole country such as Iraq and Afghanistan?” Al-Oudah said, adding that these wars have led to civil wars in the region. “Who benefits from turning countries like Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Morocco into insecure places?” he asked.

Many experts considered the letter as a major setback to Al-Qaeda’s ideology, as it comes from an influential Saudi scholar, who is not part of the official religious establishment.

“Brother Osama. How many wars and how much bloodshed have occurred in the name of Al-Qaeda? How many innocents, old men, children are killed in the name of Al-Qaeda? Are you happy to meet God carrying this heavy burden on your shoulders?” Al-Oudah asked.
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