Asharq Alawsat is running this piece from Reuters, based on this release from the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). But now, SPA is withdrawing the release.
What that means, I simply don’t know. It could be that the item was mistranslated; it could be that it was released prematurely; it could be that the Mufti changed his mind (or had it changed).
UPDATE: To confuse things a bit more, Saudi Gazette for October 2 runs a story about the fatwa, with no mention of its being pulled by SPA.
Saudi Cleric Issues Warning Over Militants
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s leading cleric said on Monday Saudis should not join jihad outside the kingdom, in a warning over Saudis going to fight U.S.-led forces in Iraq.
Media reports have said a significant number of Saudis have fought with Sunni insurgents in Iraq.
“Our youth have become a commodity bought and sold by (Middle) Eastern and Western agencies … they became tools carrying out heinous acts,” Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Aziz Al al-Sheikh said in a religious edict, or fatwa, published on the official SPA news agency.
“I advise those with money to be careful about where it’s spent so it does not damage Muslims and I urge religious scholars and preachers to explain the truth and take young people by the hand so that they see the reality,” he said.
“I decided to say this after it was clear that over several years Saudis have been leaving for jihad. They did this because they are passionate about their religion but they are not wise enough to know right from wrong,” he said.
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October:12:2007 - 17:34
Sounds like the government is finally urging the religious establishment to take action to eliminate help them eliminate ‘blowback,’ Saudis who gain experience fighting in neighboring countries like Iraq only to return to the Kingdom a major security threat.
October:12:2007 - 18:14
I’m not sure ‘finally’ is the right word. This has been a concern of the Saudi government ever since the ‘Afghan Arabs’ started coming back from Afghanistan and others from Bosnia and Chechnya. It was, in fact, one of the reasons the Saudi government was down on the US invasion of Iraq. They knew that consequences would be a long time coming and they were right in the wrong neighborhood.
October:13:2007 - 08:57
John, in your view to what extent can Saudi government ability influence the fatwas and religious decisions of influential Sheikhs? In other words, should we view certain fatwas as government policies or are they made independent of the government, or is it sometimes unclear?
October:13:2007 - 09:04
Jason, there’s no simple answer to that.
Some of the senior ulema are more prone to work with the government than others. These are the ones that UBL considers to be corrupt parasites.
The ones who appear to have the most influence are those who spent time in Saudi jails for their extremism but changed their views toward moderation over time. They’re still liable to be deprecated by extremists, but are taken more seriously by those trying to figure out just what to think.
Technically, all preachers could be considered government employees, as they receive some sort of stipend from the government. Whether that makes them ‘tools of the state’ is probably a matter more of perception than actual fact. The higher level ulema are closer to ‘state employee’ status, but some are wildly at odds with government policy.