I read today that Saleh al-Luhaidan issued a fatwa saying
it is okay to kill the owners of television networks broadcasting "depravation and debauchery". I would like to put Saleh al-Luhaidan in the same category as Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. I know that Fred Phelps is the head of a very small fringe church with only 71-member. He is more of a nuance than an actually American religious authority. The problem is that Saleh al-Luhaidan has the title of chief justice of the supreme judicial council of Saudi Arabia. I am not sure if that is an official title or just a title someone gives themselves.
I think this is one of those fatwa's that make the west nervous. I think this is one of those things that make us a little scared of Muslims. Yes the Muslims I have met in real life do not see like they would agree with him, but some of the ones I have seen on YouTube might. I am a big believer of freedom of speech. Threat of violence to stop free speech is over the line to me. It goes well past the legal freedom of religion.
I know I should not judge Islam by fatwa offered by one person. I might need to judge individual Muslims by the way they react to this Fatwa. If you think I have this one wrong, please leave me a comment.
Labels: fatwa, Islam, Saleh al-Luhaidan, Saudi Arabia, television
