Major Saudi cleric defends Bin Laden on Al- Jazeera.(AA).Mohamemd al-Arifi, an influential Saudi religious scholar and professor at King Saud University, has thrown a bombshell by claiming that al-Qaeda “does not tolerate bloodshed” and that it was victimized by attributing to it a bad ideology.
During a recent television interview, he went as far as claiming that the late Oussama Bin Laden (who he referred to as "Sheikh Oussama" and prayed for his soul to be blessed) was a victim of wide-level character assassination.
Arifi, known for his often controversial statements and fatwas such as the one calling for daughters not to wear revealing clothes in the presence of their fathers, was answering questions on the Qatari state-owned Al Jazeera television this week about the French intervention in Mali.
While pointing out that "the issue in Mali" was blown out of proportion, Arifi said some people attribute to al-Qaeda many opinions and thoughts which the group does not hold.
"These beliefs in fact are not correct. Al-Qaeda members do not tolerate accusing other Muslims of apostasy and they do not tolerate bloodshed. I am not part of al-Qaeda and I do not adopt their thinking, but Allah says: ‘And when you testify, be just,’” Arifi said.
He said that from his meeting with al-Qaeda members who went through the kingdom’s terrorist rehabilitation program, he discovered that they did not hold opinions and thoughts often attributed to al-Qaeda. “Even al-Qaeda leader Sheikh Oussama Bin Laden, may his soul rest in peace, did not adopt many of the thoughts that are attributed to him today,” Arfif explained.
Apparently realizing the seriousness of what he said, Arifi tried to cover himself by saying: “I am not in a position to defend them; I am not one of them, but again ‘when you testify, be just” .Hmmm.....After 'Global warming Tv, now global forgiveness Tv?Read the full story here.
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