A RELIGIOUS edict (fatwa) against two Saudi columnists who, earlier this month, published two articles in a popular Saudi newspaper, hogged the limelight. The most controversial article - by Abdullah Al-Otaibi, a well-known op-ed writer and one of the outspoken critics of the religious conservatism in Saudi Arabia - came in for severe criticism. In his teens, Abdullah Al-Otaibi was excessively devoted to the cause of “Islamic awakening” and, because of his political activities, was jailed in mid ‘90s. While in prison, he experienced a deep and decisive “intellectual transformation” in his philosophy. He abandoned “Islamic awakening” and turned a heavy critic of the movement and its symbols. This was a result of a thorough and comprehensive review of his ideas and beliefs during a critical part of his life. Now working in a Dubai-based think-tank, his writings and his appearances in several TV shows have long been received with counter-argument. But this time, it is different. Recently, Al-Otaibi wrote a highly controversial article in an Arabic newspaper published from Riyadh reinterpreting the familiar Islamic phrase “There is no god but Allah.” He believes that the commonly held interpretation of the phrase is not true. Such violation of the mainstream interpretation angered certain religious figures and their young fellow zealots. To a lesser extent, another article, published by Yousef Aba Alkhail, in which he said that adherents of other faiths are not necessarily labeled as non-believers contradicting the overwhelming views of many Islamic interpretations of texts. A senior religious scholar, rarely seen in public, was asked about the two articles in a Q & A session. He stated that these views were anti-Islamic and the writers should appear before a court where, if they do not repent, they could face death penalty. People close to the scholar spread that fatwa to several media outlets, particularly to radical websites and blogs. The Fatwa sparked a heated debate between proponents and opponents alike. As many as 20 “Sheikhs” followed suit and declared their unwavering support for the scholar and his Fatwa accusing the two writers of undermining the basic foundations of Islam. Other individuals also showed solidarity with that Fatwa and promised to exert more pressure for the trial of the writers. On the other side, several columnists and thinkers have warned of dire consequences of such action. Free expression is gaining ground, though with a slow pace, and such Fatwa will definitely undermine these gains. However, many people see it as a beginning of a complex problem. A scholar is free to air his opinion aloud, but it would be unrealistic to give a religious judgement wherein lives of others are put at risk. The case of Egyptian thinker Faraj Fowdah is still vivid in our memory. Fowdah was shot dead in broad daylight by a man believed to be member of a terrorist network. The man apparently took the law in his own hands after hearing a Fatwa issued against Fowdah by some Egyptian religious people who considered his writings anti-Islamic. Similarly, a prominent Saudi novelist was severely attacked because of several “offensive” phrases in one of his literary works. He was declared non-believer, Kafir in Islamic terminology, and was to be killed if he did not apologize. Through several TV interviews, he was able to clear his position. Not only journalists and novelists are targeted with Takfiri fatwas. Many moderate religious people are frequently labeled as ill-educated in Shariah laws and, therefore, should be stopped from giving opinion on any social, political or cultural issue. According to alarabiya.net, a cleric confessed to issuing a religious edict against Amer Khalid, the Egyptian moderator who happens to be one of the most influential religious personalities and whose popularity in the Arab World is indisputable. As reported in the website, Abdullah Al-Jabri, a rarely heard-of cleric, was caught on tape saying that Amer Khalid is a non-believer (Kafir) because the latter was quoted as saying that “ethics are more important than worship practices such as prayers and pilgrimage.” Al- Jabri later retracted his edict claiming that Amer Khalid was ignorant. The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has recently cautioned fellow Muslims of excessive use of Takfir against Muslims under any pretext calling upon all Muslims to bridge the gap between them and work to solve disputes through open dialogue. Despite the fact that Saudi Arabia has taken concrete steps to foster tolerance through King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, there is an abundance of evidence that little has changed. But who is to blame? Radical websites which fuel hatred and promote intolerance should be stopped. A radical Internet Forum is full of anonymous Web users whose contributions are used to launch verbal assaults against columnists, literary and public figures and moderate religious voices. The problem is that these opinions are accessed by thousands of Web users who would find them quite reasonable and may take an unwarranted action. The ultimate result of such situation, hopefully not, would be a deep and unabridged division in a homogeneous community. __
