Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdul Aziz Aal Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, has said that “Jihad without the order from the Muslim leader distorts the image of Jihad, and turns it into terrorism, killing, destruction and sabotage”. “Shariah lauds compassion, justice, mercy, kindness, patience and prevention of corruption and denounces corruption and the killing of innocent people,” Al-Sheikh said. “There are different types of terrorism such as attacking and intimidating people, killing people intentionally, encroaching on others' property, violating women's honor, breaching the privacy of homes, and corrupting minds through drugs, misguidance and ideological terrorism,” he said. According to the minister, a main feature of contemporary terrorism is secret cells, an “ends justifies the means” policy, and, “misguidance by using misleading religious slogans, killing innocents for no reason, and conflicting loyalties”. “Terrorism is damaging to the public interest, weakens society, and leads to a power struggle and moral and material losses,” he said. “Acts of terrorism are the gravest sins, after polytheism.” Al-Sheikh is scheduled to deliver a research paper at the International Conference on Terrorism at Madina's Islamic University on Sunday in which he will address “three axes to counter deviant thought and ideology”. The paper is entitled, “Terrorism, the Crime of the Age”.
