Saudi Arabia
Shaikh Abdulaziz Al-Ashaikh
Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Senior Ulema
September 15, 2001
Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Senior Ulema [Religious Scholars] Shaikh Abdulaziz Al-Ashaikh issued a statement today condemning the terrorist acts that have taken place in the United States, saying categorically: "Such acts run counter to the teachings of Islam.'' He went on to state: "God Almighty has decreed that people adhere to the principle of justice because heaven and earth are based on justice, and He sent his messengers to advocate for justice, and the Holy Qur'an underscores the importance of following the path of justice in this world. And it is clear that to hold someone responsible for a crime committed by another, is not just." He added: "Enmity and hatred do not justify aggression or injustice."

Shaikh Al-Ashaikh listed four facts that every person, every country and every nation must be made aware of, whether Muslim or non-Muslim:

"Firstly: the recent developments in the United States including hijacking planes, terrorizing innocent people and shedding blood, constitute a form of injustice that cannot be tolerated by Islam, which views them as gross crimes and sinful acts.

"Secondly: any Muslim who is aware of the teachings of his religion and who adheres to the directives of the Holy Qur'an and the sunnah (the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad) will never involve himself in such acts, because they will invoke the anger of God Almighty and lead to harm and corruption on earth.

"Thirdly: it is the duty of the Muslim ulema (religious scholars) to make facts clear in this respect, and to clarify that Islam never accepts such acts.

"Fourthly: the media which try to defame Islam and Muslims in order to rally against them the feelings of various nations, should immediately stop this unacceptable and unjustifiable practice, since all reasonable and just people know that such biased accusations have nothing to do with Islam."

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