AhlulBayt (a.s) World Assembly Condemns Wahhabi pseudo-Scholar's Unwise Fatwa

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Following an unwise fatwa by "Abdul Aziz ibn Abdollah aal al-Sheikh" a Wahhabi pseudo-scholar and official mufti of Saudi Arabia calling for the destruction of churches which affronted the religion and raised the followers of Abrahamic religion's suspicion over the divine religion of Islam, AhulBayt (A') World Assembly condemned this worthless fatwa by issuing a strongly-worded statement to inform the world that Saudi regime and Wahhabi pseudo-scholars in Saudi Arabia are not representatives of true Islam.

Part of this statement says: "During the initial years of last century, Saudis took over Hijaz with bestial cruelty supported by colonial powers and have been preaching their deviated and inhuman interpretation as Islam misusing their domination over "the two sacred sanctuaries"”.

AhlulBayt (A') World Assembly has emphasized that since this fatwa –regarding the destruction of churches- contains issues explicitly contrary to Allah's (SWT) commands, Holy Prophet's and Ahlul Bayts’ (A') teachings and sunnah therefore it is not only condemned by Shiite Muslims but Sunni Muslims are also appalled.

This is the full text of the statement:

In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. (Noble Quran 60:8)

It has been more than 200 years that a fabricated cult has been feeding their illusions and imaginations to the world as Islam through the advantage of wealth, power and weapons as well as ignorance and zeal of unaware Muslims. By issuing anti-Islamic fatwas, its followers –known as Wahhabis and Takfiris- have prompted the murder of innocent people, destruction of holy sites, resentment of religion and domination of insecurity in many parts of the world.

Last example of their illusions is an unprecedented and anti-Islamic fatwa by mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz aal al-Sheikh. He has called for the destruction of Christians' places of worship.

In this regard, AhlulBayt (A') World Assembly which is an international organization with hundreds of Muslim elites and scientists from around the world as its members and is an intellectual and cultural authority among millions of believers around the world would like the world to pay attention to the following points:

1-First of all everyone should know that Wahhabi Muftis are not representatives of Islam. They should also note that the religion which is being preached in Saudi Arabia at the present time is not the true Islam; during the initial years of last century, Saudis took over Hijaz with bestial cruelty supported by colonial powers and have been preaching their deviated and inhuman interpretation as Islam misusing their domination over "the two sacred sanctuaries" ever since.

2-The contents of this fatwa –regarding the destruction of churches- is explicitly contrary to Allah's (SWT) commands, holy prophet's and his household's (A') teachings and sunnah therefore it is not only condemned by Shiite Muslims but Sunni Muslims are also appalled. Pages of history of Islam are replete with examples of holy prophet's (SA) peaceful coexistence with people of the book in Mecca and Medina. Not his eminence, nor his household, not khulafa rashideen, nor successive rulers of the Islamic world have ever issued such a fatwa. They have never deprived followers of other religions of their religious rituals.

3-Apart from holy prophet's (SA) companions and their descendants, Muslim scholars have never issued such a fatwa during these1400 years after the demise of holy prophet (SA); not Shiite jurisprudents nor imams of four Sunni schools of law. Therefore, the grand mufti of Wahhabis has uttered a fatwa which has no precedent in distinguished jurisprudential circles of holy Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Nishabour, Syria and so on and has never been issued by Grand Scientific Centers of Muslims –such as Al-Azhar, Nizamiie, Mustansaria, Zaituna and hawze 'ilmyya in Najaf, Qom and Isfahan.

4-This Wahhabi mufti has stepped out of the boundaries and while he always accuses others of meddling in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs, he has not confined his fatwa to Saudi borders but has included the whole Arabian Peninsula. He has issued this fatwa in a meeting with a delegation from Kuwait therefore he has made an explicit and misleading intervention in internal and religious affairs of other regional countries –including Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Amman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

5-What should be greatly taken into account is that attacking holy sites by Wahhabis is not restricted to people of the book. During the initial years of their rule over the holy lands by usurpation, Wahhabi regime of Saudi family has affronted Muslims' holy sites and all Islamic sects by demolishing holy shrines of holy prophet's (SA) household and companions in Baqi' Cemetery. Wahhabi rulers have closed mosques and Husseiniyas of AhlulBayt (A') followers in Saudi Arabia and have forced Muslims living in holy lands to hold collective prayers in alleys and streets. Agents affiliated with Wahhabi regime of Saudi Arabia demolished holy shrine of two Imams in Samarra on Feb 22th,2006 and put followers of AhlulBayt (A') in a deep grief. Subsequent to this action, this regime dispatched military forces to Bahrain and destroyed tens of mosques and places of worship in this oppressed country and burnt the holy Qurans and religious books there.

Wahhabis' most recent violation of holy places was their attack on Imam Reza (A') mosque in Brussels, capital of Belgium, which happened in Feb 28th, 2012. In this attack, not only Allah's house was set on fire but its Imam was also martyred.

6-A big question here is: "why Muslim scholars are in a "deadly silence" in the face of this kind of fatwas? Should not scholars of various Islamic sects in Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Arabian Peninsula and other parts of the world react to unprecedented fatwas which depict a distorted picture of Islam in the world? If they remain silent about this new heresy, they will be responsible before Allah (SWT) and holy prophet (SA); since holy prophet (SA) has said: "whenever heresies arise in my nation and scholars present their knowledge, those who do not act accordingly will receive Allah's (SWT) curse."

7-We also have a word with global assemblies, human rights organizations and western and Christian governments; if you had not offered various forms of support to Wahhabi and Takfiri terrorists when they martyred Muslims in Iraq, Pakistan and Iran, today you would not be attacked in this manner; and if you had reacted when Wahhabis violated and attacked Shiites' holy sites and mosques in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Pakistan, your churches and holy places would not be on their list.

Now we warn you that if you remain silent for political and colonial reasons before this deviated non-Islamic sect and do not stop to support these groups, a day will come that you will not be safe at your houses and these people –who wrongly call themselves preachers of religion- will attack you and your families like the oppressed Muslims in Iraq and Pakistan.

8-Finally we emphasize one more time that Islam is the religion of coexistence, kindness, peace, freedom of belief and justice. The holy Quran explicitly declares that: " There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion "(2:256). True interpreters of holy Quran and holy prophet's (SA) sunnah are his household and scholars following them which have always called for dialogue among religions and have addressed people of the book like this verse from holy Quran: " Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]." ".(3:64) Therefore whatever is being heard from Wahhabi and Takfiri speakers and circles in Saudi Arabia and some other countries not only is not Islamic and Quranic commands but is also completely in contrast with Islam and noble Quran.

We hope that with unequivocal stance of scholars of Abrahamic religions and timely reaction by governments and international organizations, the source of these inhuman thoughts be eradicated from the land of two sacred sanctuaries and "security, peace and justice" which are eternal commands of Islam dominate the world; O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. (2:208)
AhlulBayt (A') World Assembly