It came as a shock to me to know that a fatwa by the Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Ifta on the February municipal election has banned Muslims from electing any candidate whom they know has been a communist or had embraced nationalism as a substitute to religion. The committee said anyone who does so would be considered to have helped elect those individuals to an office they may use to spread corruption.
Given the seriousness of the matter, I urge my fellow writers not to let this issue go unnoticed and to start a thorough and extensive debate on it. The relevant authorities, especially those responsible for the security and safety of the country and its people, should see to it that this matter receives due consideration.
A series of questions come to the mind. Who asked the honorable committee to issue a fatwa on a matter as important as municipal election? Can anyone imagine that we have amongst us Saudis who believe in a religion other than Islam? And most importantly, why raise an issue like this in the first place?
This is a very serious matter that should not be left to slip away. The state should not remain silent. It must at least express an opinion, if not take action. This is because the signals coming out of such a dangerous matter may lead us into a new situation that could further complicate the one our country already faces. Assuming that among us are some who blaspheme religion or believe in nationalism as a religion could lead to serious consequences, we shouldn’t be surprised if some thought it is their right to intervene and then take action against others whom they think fall within the classification appearing in the fatwa, believing that by acting like this they were doing the right thing to prevent vice.
Thank God, we live in a society fully committed to Islam. We never heard of any member of our society embracing a different religion or blaspheming theirs. The response to any such acts would come not from individuals but from the entire society that would not tolerate something of this kind. Such door should never be opened, especially at this critical time when our country is undergoing a reform process.
