JEDDAH, 10 February 2005 — The head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice yesterday denounced terrorism, and specifically suicide attacks, citing verses from the Holy Qur’an that prohibits taking one’s life.
Sheikh Ibrahim ibn Abdullah Al-Ghaith said suicide terror attacks carried out by militants were “unacceptable by religion, reason and tradition.”
Although Islam deems suicide a sin, militants have been justifying suicide bombings targeting government infrastructure or police, seen as government agents, as “martyrdom operations.”
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, Sheikh Al-Ghaith, however, reminded that such attacks were tantamount to suicide and fell under the warning in the Qur’an: “Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves, for verily God hath been to you most Merciful.”
The verse adds that suicide is considered an “injustice” punishable by hell.
Sheikh Al-Ghaith did not address suicide operations by Palestinians and Iraqis. Many Islamic scholars in the Arab world see attacks on occupiers as justifiable.
On Sunday, Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Sheikh told reporters on the sidelines of the Counterterrorism International Conference in Riyadh that his ministry had issued an edict condemning suicide bombings as an act of terror. He added, however, that those fighting occupation are not terrorists.
Sheikh Al-Ghaith said denouncing terrorism is a “duty” and accepting it is “treason.” The government has been struggling to contain militants who have attacked the government and Westerners in a series of deadly attacks, which have included suicide bombings, since May 2003.
According to statistics released by Interior Minister Prince Naif recently, terrorist attacks in the Kingdom claimed the lives of 221 people, including 90 civilians, 39 members of the security forces and 92 suspected militants.
“The Kingdom witnessed 22 criminal acts including bombings, attacks and abductions over the past two years, in which 90 Saudi civilians and expatriates were killed and 507 injured,” Prince Naif told the counterterrorism conference. Damage to property and installations from the attacks exceeded SR1 billion ($266 million), he added.
“If a person kills a Muslim believer intentionally, his punishment is hell,” the commission chief said quoting a verse from the Qur’an. “Killing Muslims is not at all justifiable under any circumstances,” he added.
Sheikh Al-Ghaith also emphasized the importance of protecting dimmis or non-Muslims living in an Islamic country. “It’s the government’s duty to protect them and if anybody kills such dimmis he will not be able to enjoy even the fragrance of Paradise,” he said, quoting a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
