JEDDAH, 21 November 2004 — Crown Prince Abdullah said yesterday that terrorists were responsible for tarnishing the image of Islam and Muslims around the world.

“Now everybody looks at Muslims, Arabs, Saudis and others as criminals. In fact, we have nothing to do with crimes,” he told top civilian and military officers who came to greet him on Eid Al-Fitr.

Prince Abdullah reaffirmed the government’s determination to stamp out terrorism. “They will be defeated, no matter how long it takes,” he said about Al-Qaeda sympathizers blamed for a series of bombings and shootings across the Kingdom since May 2003.

He said the terrorist group in the Kingdom was receiving support from the enemies of Islam and Saudi Arabia. “You know better who are behind them,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the crown prince as saying.

Prince Abdullah disclosed that security forces had arrested a terror suspect yesterday morning, adding that the man was planning to carry out operations in a neighboring country.

“He came here for consultation… and they arrested him at 5 a.m. God willing, we’ll crush all of them,” the crown prince said and denounced the terrorists for their heinous crimes.

He also lambasted a section of the Western media for its anti-Saudi campaign, adding that the Kingdom would not be shaken by such falsification.

Authorities Urged to Restrain Clerics Issuing Jihad Fatwas

Meanwhile, Sheikh Saleh Al-Laheedan, chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council, has called upon authorities to restrain scholars issuing fatwas or edicts inciting youth to go for jihad (holy war) in Iraq.

“It is up to the authorities to control them,” the Saudi scholar told Okaz Arabic daily when asked how to deal with people issuing such fatwas. “Going to Iraq and participating in armed acts is not jihad. It will only worsen the security situation there,” he said.

He said responsible agencies in the Kingdom must question clerics and scholars and hold them responsible for issuing fatwas hailing fighting in Iraq as a heroic act. He also discouraged people from giving money to militants fighting in Iraq and said it could aggravate the situation. “The mistakes committed in Afghanistan must not be repeated in Iraq,” he added.

“What is happening in Iraq is not jihad. It’s chaos and confusion. Iraqis are killing Iraqis including women and children. Any youth going to Iraq from our country will cause harm not only to himself but also to his family and country,” he pointed out.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom’s grand mufti, had also stated that going to Iraq for jihad would lead to self-destruction. Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, another senior scholar, rebuked the clerics issuing edicts calling for jihad in Iraq as “misleading and deceitful.” Jihad is allowed only with the permission of the ruler, he pointed out.

Earlier this month 26 Saudi religious scholars had issued a statement urging Muslims in Iraq to fight against the “colonial alliance” in their country, a reference to the US and its allies.

They also called for not shedding Iraqi Muslim blood and not targeting nationals of countries whose governments have not taken part in the war.

The scholars stressed the importance of a unified Iraq, asking Iraqis to forsake personal, regional or tribal interests to ensure that justice was served among all.