Saudi Arabia Mufti warns against Jihad abroad, or does he really?

AKI - Adnkronos international Saudi Arabia: Mufti warns against waging Jihad abroad

Saudi nationals who choose to leave their country, join al-Qaeda and wage Jihad in other states, are offending Islam, said the Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdelaziz Al Sheikh in a statement to Saudi news agencies.

Saudi Arabia's leading relgious authority strongly criticised the young Saudi men who chose to wage Jihad in Iraq or in other war-torn regions of the Middle East. Over the past few months, a dozen young Saudi men have been captured in Iraq fighting for al-Qaeda and in Lebanon as members of Fatah al-Islam.

"Their actions have offended Islam and their filthy actions are in response to their personal passions," said Abdelaziz al Sheikh.

The Muslim cleric also targeted those who left the country to undertake the path of Jihad and did not know how to distinguish between right and wrong.

The Saudi mufti and his Council of Grand Ulemas (religious scholars) wield great influence in the Sunni Muslim world.

What he actually said:

“Our youth have become a commodity bought and sold by Middle Eastern and Western agencies, they became tools carrying out heinous acts,” Grand Mufti said in a religious edict, or fatwa, published on the official SPA news agency.

“I advise those with money to be careful about where it’s spent so it does not damage Muslims and I urge scholars and preachers to explain the truth and take young people by the hand so that they see the reality,” he said. Saudis go for Gihad because "they are passionate about their religion but they are not wise enough to know right from wrong,” he said.

So what, exactly, did he say?

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