Saudi clerics attack Shi'ites, Hezbollah

[Brother_Mujahid]

Saudi clerics attack Shi'ites, Hezbollah

Reuters

RIYADH, June 1 (Reuters) - Clerics in Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia attacked minority Shi'ites in a statement on Sunday saying Lebanon's Hezbollah was posturing against Israel to hide an anti-Sunni agenda.

The Saudi government and religious establishment has watched with alarm as the Lebanese Shi'ite group's popularity rose in the Arab world since forcing Israel to withdraw in south Lebanon in 2000 and surviving an Israeli military onslaught in 2006.

Although most Arabs are Sunni Muslims, Hezbollah is generally popular in the region. Saudi Arabia sees the group, which is funded by Shi'ite Iran, as an extension of Iranian power.

"Many Muslims have been fooled by the Shi'ites' claims to be championing Islam and challenging the Jews and Americans and Hezbollah's claims in Lebanon," the statement distributed on Islamic websites said.

"Those who believe their claims have not realised the reality of the infidel bases of their faith ... It was the rejectionist Shi'ites who began the practice of visiting graves and building shrines," it said, citing a major concern of Saudi Arabia's particular brand of Islam, often termed Wahhabism.

"They (Shi'ites) humiliate Sunnis whenever they have the chance, in Iran and Iraq. They are destabilising Muslim countries as happened during pilgrimage and in Yemen."

Some members of a Shi'ite sect in north Yemen, to the south of Saudi Arabia, are locked in rebellion there. Iranian pilgrims making political statements have often clashed with Saudi authorities during the haj pilgrimage.

Hezbollah and its allies won a bigger seat in government after street fighting broke out between government and opposition militias last month, further alarming Riyadh.

The statement was signed by 22 clerics including the leading independent religious scholars Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak and Abdullah bin Jabreen.

The Grand Mufti, who represents the government's position, was not a signatory but he was quoted in the media during last month's fighting in Lebanon saying groups who raise the banner of Islam were exposing the country to the danger of Israeli reprisals, but he did not specify Hezbollah by name.

http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=192964

[Brother_Mujahid]

Does anyone have the link to this statement or know the names of the other signatories?

[Nu7]

""Many Muslims have been fooled by the Shi'ites' claims to be championing Islam and challenging the Jews and Americans and Hezbollah's claims in Lebanon," the statement distributed on Islamic websites said.

"Those who believe their claims have not realised the reality of the infidel bases of their faith ... It was the rejectionist Shi'ites who began the practice of visiting graves and building shrines," it said, citing a major concern of Saudi Arabia's particular brand of Islam, often termed Wahhabism."

[Abu Maysara]

pre-made fatwa..only for them to sign..what a coincidence that the fatwa comes after bush's lashing out against hizbshaytaan...
where were these scholars for dollars when muqtada sadr visited their amir al mumineen? muqtada as-sadr were never involved in killing sunnis?
this goes to show that they dont care about anti sunni agenda but it sounds good when signing the fatwa on the order of washington
http://www.middle-east-online.com/pictures/big/_15454_sadr-abdullah-11-1-2006.jpg

how anyone take these clowns seriously anylonger...

[Brother_Mujahid]

Sh. 'Abdur-Rahman al-Barrak and Sh. 'Abdullah bin Jibrin are independent scholars, with a long history of speaking in defense of the truth.

Sh. al-Barrak has a history of speaking harshly against the rawafid (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=2438) and against the progressive "Muslim" apostates (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=10712) in Saudi Arabia, as well as supporting the Taliban (http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/contemporary/0026.htm) and Ahl as-Sunna in Iraq (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=2351&highlight=barrak).

The same is the case for Sh. 'Abdullah bin Jibrin, who has been speaking against the Lebanese rawafid (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=1145) since 2000, and defended the fatwa of al-Barrak (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showpost.php?p=89512&postcount=8) against the liberal apostates in Saudi Arabia, and was an earlier supporter of the Taliban (http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/contemporary/0016.htm).

I would hope the brothers would be just toward these pious scholars, and learn their history before issuing out judgment and damnation.

[Bilal]

Sh. 'Abdur-Rahman al-Barrak and Sh. 'Abdullah bin Jibrin are independent scholars, with a long history of speaking in defense of the truth.

Sh. al-Barrak has a history of speaking harshly against the rawafid (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=2438) and against the progressive "Muslim" apostates (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=10712) in Saudi Arabia, as well as supporting the Taliban (http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/contemporary/0026.htm) and Ahl as-Sunna in Iraq (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=2351&highlight=barrak).

The same is the case for Sh. 'Abdullah bin Jibrin, who has been speaking against the Lebanese rawafid (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=1145) since 2000, and defended the fatwa of al-Barrak (http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showpost.php?p=89512&postcount=8) against the liberal apostates in Saudi Arabia, and was an earlier supporter of the Taliban (http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/contemporary/0016.htm).

I would hope the brothers would be just toward these pious scholars, and learn their history before issuing out judgment and damnation.


jazakallahu khair akhi

[abu_suhail]

pre-made fatwa..only for them to sign..what a coincidence that the fatwa comes after bush's lashing out against hizbshaytaan...
where were these scholars for dollars when muqtada sadr visited their amir al mumineen? muqtada as-sadr were never involved in killing sunnis?
this goes to show that they dont care about anti sunni agenda but it sounds good when signing the fatwa on the order of washington
http://www.middle-east-online.com/pictures/big/_15454_sadr-abdullah-11-1-2006.jpg

how anyone take these clowns seriously anylonger...

what are you talking about?? as-sheikh al-barak and as-sheikh ibn jibreen are known for the harsh stances toward shi'a before you where born. and dont forget thad as-sheikh ibn jibreen issued a fatwa against the rawafidh in iraq. he meskeen even cried when their situation was described to him.

but yeah, you are right he is a clown....because he didnt condemn all the injustice in the world openly?!!. did you? see how funny your argument is, so you are a better clown.

[Nu7]

Now this brother ended up slandering two scholars for no reason. People should really fear Allah and learn how to hold their tongues from the scholars.

[Abu Maysara]

keep on crying..answer the question..where were your scholars when muqtada sadr visited the palace of their paymaster?
your scholars are never wrong, you got thousands of excuses for them...show the same sympathy mujahideen

[Nu7]

We are talking about those scholars who were mentioned in the article, and yes apparently they spoke against the Rafidha way before any of this happened. Do you think they are super-humans who can force the rulers to do what they want?

[Abu Maysara]

i am not talking about forcing the rulers..asking simply for a statement/fatwa against accepting muqtada sadr for example,or bush as well..why not... both butchers of Ahlu Sunnah in Iraq...a simple statement with signatures just like the one mentioned in this thread...too much to ask for?
i ask everyone not to be in a state of denial..you all know deep inside your hearts why we dont see those statements....

[C47]

as long as its against shia, im cool

i dont care who gives the fatwa

[Brother_Mujahid]

Sadly, it appears these ulema are damned if they do or say something, and damned if they don't in the eyes of some. If they don't speak about a specific event they are denounced as being mute and covering the crimes of the rulers and crusaders, and when they do speak they are accused of being opportunist or doing so at the behest of the rulers or the Americans. It is a great source of comfort to know that Allah is more Merciful than those who would set themselves as judges for the rest of the umma.

[Abu Maysara]

When writing an analytical post, please do not forget to take following into consideration:The timing of the Statement or Fatwa, Was there ever any (missed) opportunity of releasing a similar Statement or Fatwa but at another time but for some reason it wasnt? Who will be the benefitter of this Statement or Fatwa at this time? It cant be America, right? No one doubts that rawaafed are the enemies of Allah, but take into consideration that Muqtada Sadr and as well the Iranian president (performed Hajj) are both Rawaafed and have the blood of Ahl As Sunnah on their hands, but these so called "independant " scholars did not release a Statement or Fatwa at that time???!!! Where were they, these 20 some scholars, at that time? not a single one of them could write a line ?
And now, they all, feel for signing this Statement ?
Ask yourself who was the initiator of the Statement or Fatwa, for the others to sign.
These Statements or Fatwas do usually have an originator other than the ones signing it, believe it or not.
Being independent does not mean that they go outside the "freedom of speech" laws outlined by the KSA regime.

[abu_suhail]

you are truly a clown ya aba albahlawaan. listen, first of all stop showing off with your support the mujahideen slogan. ma yudreek maybe the people who support those scholars, are great supporters of the mujahideen.

supporting these scholars and agreeing with the mujahideen arent mutualy exclusive. and you keep asking where these shuyuukh where when muqtada sadr was at ksa? where where you? and dont come tell me you made some patethic posts! stop acting like your some great modest islamic figure, because your not, your just a muslim who happens to own a keyboard.

why didnt you call them and ask them to give this fatwa? why didnt you call them and give them naseeha? why dont you go to saudia arabia right now and demonstrate out loud that the king is a tiran? what stops you from doing that??? is it that talking is easy and doing is hard?? or are you just afraid?

so stop being a coward and go to ksa and the whole islamic world and go to all those palaces and shout at their residents that they are tawagheet and that they deserve the helfire, untill that day and that day may never come shut your mouth about these scholars because your the real clown.

[Abu Maysara]

listen, first of all stop showing off with your support the mujahideen slogan.Do you claim to know the unseen as you accuse me of showing of?
This is another cheap trick by the ones defending palace scholars, that they know ppl's intentions.

ma yudreek maybe the people who support those scholars, are great supporters of the mujahideen.wa laa tadree..why these scholars are sitting behind when knowledge is for acting upon...walakin laa tadree shay ya abu fulaan

and you keep asking where these shuyuukh where when muqtada sadr was at ksa? where where you? same ranting bla bla bla..what did you do bla bla...
hey .,,,dont try to make it personal..you dont have an asnwer to my post above...in your blind love for palace scholars..you didnt find anything better in their defence than this..cause you aint got an answer...poor you..


and dont come tell me you made some patethic posts! stop acting like your some great modest islamic figure, because your not, your just a muslim who happens to own a keyboard. Oh...i guess i hit a nerve..are you afraid that the current Riddah regime will fall before you can study for free in the Medina Univ? Free business class tickets back and forth and tickets paid to go home after every semester..and pocket money as well...hmm..gotta be nice to be a defender of the regime and their passive scholars...i indeed hit a nerve, huh?


so stop being a coward and go to ksa and the whole islamic world and go to all those palaces and shout at their residents that they are tawagheet and that they deserve the helfire, untill that day and that day may never come shut your mouth about these scholars because your the real clown.You have no idea who I am and where I been and until you know little boy....the guys you are defending couldnt care less about you..you should know that these guys didnt care about sisters being raped in Iraq and still its not in their interest either..Muslims are killed in Afghanistaan..and no statement or fatwa issued ..at least...and I say ..at least condemning the American aggression there...and at least protesting the American presence in the Arabian Peninsula...no nothing...
you can call me coward thats ok..you attack me right away calling me this and that..and you know at the same time that i do not have the level of knowledge of those "scholars"..dont i have udhr bil jahl at least?
.so what excuse does those scholars have for being cowards and not rushing towards Al Jihad?...lack of knowledge?...handicapped?.....are they women...?..are they all that?....you cant answer because you cant face the truth....if so many brothers could go to Iraq and Afghanistan and all other places..and most brothers have less knowledge than the
"scholars" you defend..that only means that these palace clowns are cowards..yes say it......it hurts to hear those words about the dear scholars for dollars..but the truth needs to be said even though it hurts?

[Abu_Zahid]

Do u expect every scholar to run around and condemn every single evil that occurs in Saudi? Is that even humanly possible? Your whole logic is ridiculous Abu Maysara.

And just to destroy ur stupid argument:

http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=12912

The above thread is talking about the Saudi King calling for unity with the shia just the other day. So if the two scholars whom u have unjustly slandered are "henchmen" of Abdullah, then why have they just come out with a fatwa which is completely and utterly opposing the King's message?

[Abu Maysara]

because their statement came out before and not after this conference...let us wait for a statement or fatwa against this conference..if they are so independent and upon guidance...

[Nu7]

You're not being fair at all. But as Brother Mujahid said:

"It is a great source of comfort to know that Allah is more Merciful than those who would set themselves as judges for the rest of the umma."

[Ibn malik]

because their statement came out before and not after this conference...let us wait for a statement or fatwa against this conference..if they are so independent and upon guidance...
Brother what do you expect of the Scholars, because you seem to hold them to a standard that is not humanly possible. How are you going to say those things about Ibn Jibreen when I'm pretty sure it is his fatwa that you will reach for when you try to argue with people about the obligation of supporting the Taliban? Now just because this Shaykh, according to your limited knowledge, didn't shown necessary attention to a perticular event in the past, he is now to be rejected? What kind of logic are you running with?

Brother, tell me this.. How am I to believe your a sincere sunni and not a undercover jew or a rafidhi who is trying to disenfranchise any and every scholar under the false pretense of 'having love for the Mujahideen'? Because at this rate if you were sucessful the ummah will succesfully be divorced from its knowledgeable ones, hence signing its own death warrant...

May Allah guide you

[Brother_Mujahid]

I commend those brothers who have stood up for the truth and the honor of our respected scholars. It is sad that some brothers applying a heavy, inhuman standard to the scholars, instead of praying for them and encouraging them in their support of the mujahidun.

[Abu Maysara]

I commend those brothers who have stood up for the truth and the honor of our respected scholars. It is sad that some brothers applying a heavy, inhuman standard to the scholars, instead of praying for them and encouraging them in their support of the mujahidun.
What support of Mujahideen are you referring to?
You really need to take a stance once for all, the scholars in the institution called " Kibaar al Ulama" as well as the ones that are sometimes are called independent, are under the influence and control of the current regime and do in fact obey the king and his masters in washington unfortunately, except for a very very few whom Allah swt has guided. Those very few are either in prison, executed or have joined al Mujahideen.
My advice to you is to put your hope to others than these ones that you call respected scholars, cause these official so called scholars will let you, me and the whole Ummah down , sooner or later, that is the bitter truth subhanAllah, although i would be the first one to cry of happiness if they are making tawbah tomorrow, their tawbah is more dear to me than them being punished for their current deviant ways of today.
We saw the example of the so called "great" rightly guided", "Imam of Salaf", the one "harsh upon the secularists". Salih Al Fawzaan, lashing out against Mujahideen in Iraq, asking muslims to report brothers to the authorities, the brothers intending to go to Iraq for the defense of Ahl Sunnah!!!
What happened to your signature, where you quoted this so called "respected scholar" as well as your avatar pic of the very same guy?
Take a stance once for all instead of defending those who do not deserve it.

[Salahadeen]

I commend those brothers who have stood up for the truth and the honor of our respected scholars. It is sad that some brothers applying a heavy, inhuman standard to the scholars, instead of praying for them and encouraging them in their support of the mujahidun.

Your font is so small.

[Irhaabi]

as long as its against shia, im cool

i dont care who gives the fatwa

Same here...

[Abu_Zahid]

because their statement came out before and not after this conference...let us wait for a statement or fatwa against this conference..if they are so independent and upon guidance...

Ur missing the point. It doesn't matter if it was before. The point is, that if the King and these scholars are interconnected and share some evil agenda, then they would not have released such a major statement (i.e. signed by 20 scholars), because it completely goes against the agenda which Abdullah has...and his agenda of unity with the shia is not something new, the latest statement is only a further proof of this, but he has been rubbing shoulders with them for quite some time now, as you are probably well aware.

Thus in fact this is proof that they genuinely are independent of the regime.

[Brother_Mujahid]

Abu Maysara, I really have no interest in arguing or debating with you as you are not able to get past all the rage and anger that are evident in your posts. My goal was to show the virtue and piety of these two scholars (ibn Jibrin and al-Barrak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14XJiD64JmE)), so that those just and fair minded brothers could evaluate for themselves. In this I have been successful, wal-Hamdu lillah, and you only serve to discredit yourself with your rancor toward these scholars.

As for Sh. Salih al-Fawzan, I don't recall ever calling him "Imam of the Salaf," nor did I ever have his picture as my avatar, instead I had Sh. Safar al-Hawali and Sh. Nasir al-'Umar. I did use a quote by him, so what? There was nothing in the quote that was wrong. I have, and continue to, praise the good things that Sh. al-Fawzan has done in confronting the secularists and ahl al-bida, at the same time I have no problem saying his stance on Iraq is seriously wrong and misguided. I personally see no need to throw the baby out with the bath water.

[Abu Dajana]

I don't understand the criticism on Sheikh Ibn Jibrin and Sheikh Al-Barrak?
They are one of the few senior scholars in saudi arabia that are up to date on jihad and current affairs. They always give honest and truthful fatwas.
Instead of those vague and biased fatwas you'll usely see flying around...

[abu_suhail]

first ya aba maysara it's ya aba fulaan and not ya abu fulaan a serious and very awfull grammar fault in the arabic grammar. that's only an indication of your level of 'ilm.

you don't know me akhee and i am glad i dont know you personally. i never defended the saudi regime, and i have no intention to go and study in the university of medinah.

my opinions towards the regime of saudia arabia is that of scholars like al-al'waan and al-'oqla etc. i dont know how you relate my correction of your ugly faults with defending the regime of saudia arabia?

and please brother dont be stupid, and dont play rambo with the keyboard. learn arabic it would do you good. and before acting like your ibn hajar.

and how is it when they dont react when muqtada comes to ksa its wrong and they are clowns and when you dont its ok and its blablabla etc?

see how funny you are? see how biased you are?? i didn't see any great scholar of the mujahideen in either iraq or afghanistan say something about this visit? so they are all clowns now?? or you have an excuse now?

give me a video of aba 'abdillaah or hasan kaid denouncing this visit, so they are clowns? be consistent or dont talk at all.

dont forget that mullah omar even said that the iraqis most overcome they inter-madhahib issues and stand as one nation against the occupation? is he a clown now? altough i denounce this opinion i dont call him clown but still recognize him as a great leader and as the legal ameer if the emirate of afghanistan. but yah your better than all of us so please enlighten us with your question as we do not know unless you teach us oh great scholar of the world wide web.

[abu_suhail]

Do you claim to know the unseen as you accuse me of showing of?
This is another cheap trick by the ones defending palace scholars, that they know ppl's intentions.

wa laa tadree..why these scholars are sitting behind when knowledge is for acting upon...walakin laa tadree shay ya abu fulaan

same ranting bla bla bla..what did you do bla bla...
hey .,,,dont try to make it personal..you dont have an asnwer to my post above...in your blind love for palace scholars..you didnt find anything better in their defence than this..cause you aint got an answer...poor you..


Oh...i guess i hit a nerve..are you afraid that the current Riddah regime will fall before you can study for free in the Medina Univ? Free business class tickets back and forth and tickets paid to go home after every semester..and pocket money as well...hmm..gotta be nice to be a defender of the regime and their passive scholars...i indeed hit a nerve, huh?


You have no idea who I am and where I been and until you know little boy....the guys you are defending couldnt care less about you..you should know that these guys didnt care about sisters being raped in Iraq and still its not in their interest either..Muslims are killed in Afghanistaan..and no statement or fatwa issued ..at least...and I say ..at least condemning the American aggression there...and at least protesting the American presence in the Arabian Peninsula...no nothing...
you can call me coward thats ok..you attack me right away calling me this and that..and you know at the same time that i do not have the level of knowledge of those "scholars"..dont i have udhr bil jahl at least?
.so what excuse does those scholars have for being cowards and not rushing towards Al Jihad?...lack of knowledge?...handicapped?.....are they women...?..are they all that?....you cant answer because you cant face the truth....if so many brothers could go to Iraq and Afghanistan and all other places..and most brothers have less knowledge than the
"scholars" you defend..that only means that these palace clowns are cowards..yes say it......it hurts to hear those words about the dear scholars for dollars..but the truth needs to be said even though it hurts?


akhee get a life read this post? what a nonsense. what are you talking about????

[ahmedjbh]

will these "scholars" be condeming israel and the usa soon, or are their orders only to condemn shia and their resistance to the injustice in the world?

[melo061]

will these "scholars" be condeming israel and the usa soon, or are their orders only to condemn shia and their resistance to the injustice in the world?

Condemning the Raafidah is much more important than condemning America. Your ilk are confusing the Muslims today and you guys need to be exposed.

[walid]

Condemning the Raafidah is much more important than condemning America. Your ilk are confusing the Muslims today and you guys need to be exposed.

are you serious? what planet do you live on? have you had your head buried in the sand for the last decade? so why does the taliban not fight the shia iranians instead of amerikans, why do the palestians resisitance,hamas not fight hezbollah and why does the iraqi resistance not join with the americans and kill all the shia? you are obviously a school or college kid with no understanding of world politics. Maybe you should write to all these mujahdeen and tell to only fight the shia because the amerikans are not that bad. Your a complete clown along with many of the other brothers who understand nothing about warfare and may Allah keep people like you off the battle field simply because of the fitnah you will cause.

[melo061]

are you serious? what planet do you live on? have you had your head buried in the sand for the last decade? so why does the taliban not fight the shia iranians instead of amerikans, why do the palestians resisitance,hamas not fight hezbollah and why does the iraqi resistance not join with the americans and kill all the shia? you are obviously a school or college kid with no understanding of world politics. Maybe you should write to all these mujahdeen and tell to only fight the shia because the amerikans are not that bad. Your a complete clown along with many of the other brothers who understand nothing about warfare and may Allah keep people like you off the battle field simply because of the fitnah you will cause.


I never said that. All i said was the Raafidah are worse than the Americans . Period. Why? Your hidden enemy can do infinitely more damage than your open enemy. The common muslims are confused and they are taking advantage of this.

Secondly, in case you didn't know, the Taliban cracked down on the Raafidah more than they did anyone. The Northern alliance, the group who fought with the Taliab were full of Secularist Raafidah. You should read up on what they did to the Shia. Also, Hamas has always been known to be soft with the Shia.

[walid]

Brother note the following;

The northen alliance was never considered a soley shia group infact all the groups fought against the soviets. Why did they not fight each other on the basis of shai and sunni then? The northen alliance are mainly secular nationalist mixed to call them shia is incorrect.
So why does Gulbhadeen hekmatiya work/cooperate with iran, also how do you answer to the fact many Alqeida members have openly used iran. hamas and islamic jihad were supported by hezbollah. When survival is at stake idelogical differences have to be buried. Sheik Osama hates the shai but orders his men to attack the americans he had a difference of opinion with Musab Zakarwi on this issue. Historically the shia have been a thorn in the side of the sunni muslims. however, when salahadeen freed jeruslam, did he spend all his energy fighting the shai or the did he remove the crusaders first? Note Salahadeen fought the fatmids in egypt, since they were all shai, converted them back to sunni's. Did he decide to kill them all because they were shia?
People living in the middle east know who the reall enemy is, tell me are you saying Israel and America are friends of muslims? Who occupies Afghanistan, palestine,iraq,the house of al saoud, who killed a million iraq men women and children via bombs and embargo. who invaded somalia, who bombs waristan? etc etc

The shia are troublesome only because we are weak don't blame them blame ourselves. learn from salahdeen, influence only comes from position of strenght.

[ahmedjbh]

I wouldnt waste your time chatting to these israeli puppets, if Allah throws them in the hellfire, they will still be chanting that is the shia fault they are in hell fire.

[Ibn malik]

I wouldnt waste your time chatting to these israeli puppets, if Allah throws them in the hellfire, they will still be chanting that is the shia fault they are in hell fire.
I don't understand why you take such exception to our hatred of the Shi'a, as we don't consider them to be Muslim anyway. I would understand your lamentation if we had such laothing for another Muslim group over the Americans, but the fact of the matter is that the Rawafidh and the Americans are in the same boat as far as our wala and bara goes.

Who is a worse enemy? Who should bear the brunt of Muslim hatred? All of these questions have varying answers depending on the situation. I personally think the rawafidh are currently far worse a danger than the Americans. Yet I don't, (as some simpletons would like to think), believe the American occupier or the Israelis should be ignored, rather all such diseases need to be eradicated.

[leo]

that is the shia fault they are in hell fire.

You can blame your ideal baby, who is unwilling to come out of the tunnel for the last 1000 years.

[TN_Cat]

Saudi clerics attack Shi'ites, Hezbollah

Reuters

RIYADH, June 1 (Reuters) - Clerics in Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia attacked minority Shi'ites in a statement on Sunday saying Lebanon's Hezbollah was posturing against Israel to hide an anti-Sunni agenda.

The Saudi government and religious establishment has watched with alarm as the Lebanese Shi'ite group's popularity rose in the Arab world since forcing Israel to withdraw in south Lebanon in 2000 and surviving an Israeli military onslaught in 2006.

Although most Arabs are Sunni Muslims, Hezbollah is generally popular in the region. Saudi Arabia sees the group, which is funded by Shi'ite Iran, as an extension of Iranian power.

"Many Muslims have been fooled by the Shi'ites' claims to be championing Islam and challenging the Jews and Americans and Hezbollah's claims in Lebanon," the statement distributed on Islamic websites said.

"Those who believe their claims have not realised the reality of the infidel bases of their faith ... It was the rejectionist Shi'ites who began the practice of visiting graves and building shrines," it said, citing a major concern of Saudi Arabia's particular brand of Islam, often termed Wahhabism.

"They (Shi'ites) humiliate Sunnis whenever they have the chance, in Iran and Iraq. They are destabilising Muslim countries as happened during pilgrimage and in Yemen."

Some members of a Shi'ite sect in north Yemen, to the south of Saudi Arabia, are locked in rebellion there. Iranian pilgrims making political statements have often clashed with Saudi authorities during the haj pilgrimage.

Hezbollah and its allies won a bigger seat in government after street fighting broke out between government and opposition militias last month, further alarming Riyadh.

The statement was signed by 22 clerics including the leading independent religious scholars Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak and Abdullah bin Jabreen.

The Grand Mufti, who represents the government's position, was not a signatory but he was quoted in the media during last month's fighting in Lebanon saying groups who raise the banner of Islam were exposing the country to the danger of Israeli reprisals, but he did not specify Hezbollah by name.

http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=192964

salam alaykum,

I believe the Saudi clarics have been against the Sheiits for years but why is this surfacing now? Could it be that perhaps the United States will benefit from this Suni Sheiit division on their military march toward Iran?

[Abu Abdallah al-Bulghari]

are you serious? what planet do you live on? have you had your head buried in the sand for the last decade? so why does the taliban not fight the shia iranians instead of amerikans, why do the palestians resisitance,hamas not fight hezbollah and why does the iraqi resistance not join with the americans and kill all the shia? you are obviously a school or college kid with no understanding of world politics. Maybe you should write to all these mujahdeen and tell to only fight the shia because the amerikans are not that bad. Your a complete clown along with many of the other brothers who understand nothing about warfare and may Allah keep people like you off the battle field simply because of the fitnah you will cause.

Excellent point on the subject.

Nobody confuses Shi'as and Sunnis. Some people consider them Muslims but they do not mix with them, they do not pray behind them. The division between Shi'a and Sunnis is very clear, there is no mix up. The difference is only in labels and in degree of alienation.

There is much bigger danger of Muslims grow and become non-practicing Muslim that exists in every single country in the world because of Westernization, capitalism, consumerism than a danger of a Muslim becoming Rafidha.

[Brother_Mujahid]

I wouldnt waste your time chatting to these israeli puppets, if Allah throws them in the hellfire, they will still be chanting that is the shia fault they are in hell fire.

Again, who openly aided the Americans in invading and occupying Afghanistan in 2001? I know you'd like to bury the truth, but we all know who has served as the American knife in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Abu Bakr as-Somali]

ok you jaahils I will explain what the Shaykh ment as most of you dont even know Arabic and dont know what the shizzle is in the Middle-East, the guy makes a fatwa against Hezbollah but not against Mahdi Army. WHY? Because everyone knows that the Mahdi army infact is the army of Satan, as for Hezbollah everyone sees them as friends and heroes. More ppl like the hezbollaah then al_Qaeda or Taliban or Islamic Army in Iraq or Islamic Courts etc. etc.

Thats why he felt the urge to warn the youth not to support the Hezbollah saying that they are against the Sunni, this has nothing to do with pleasing the Saudi gov!

[Brother_Mujahid]

ok you jaahils I will explain what the Shaykh ment as most of you dont even know Arabic and dont know what the shizzle is in the Middle-East, the guy makes a fatwa against Hezbollah but not against Mahdi Army. WHY? Because everyone knows that the Mahdi army infact is the army of Satan, as for Hezbollah everyone sees them as friends and heroes. More ppl like the hezbollaah then al_Qaeda or Taliban or Islamic Army in Iraq or Islamic Courts etc. etc.

Actually many of the ulema, including ibn Jibrin and al-Barrak, already issued statements in support for Ahl as-Sunna in Iraq and against the rawafid criminals in Iraq (which would include the Jaysh ad-Dajjal of Muqtada as-Sadr).

See this from 2006: http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=2351

[Brother_Mujahid]

Here is Sh. 'Abdullah bin Jibrin issuing a fatwa against supporting "Hezbullah" (from 2000 I believe): http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=1145

Here is Sh. Safar al-Hawali speaking against "Hezbullah" in 2006: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3286696,00.html