Saudi Critic Only Loses Job (Not Head)

Finally, from Egypt's neighbours, the ever reliable Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, comes this story about another 'senior cleric' (told you, every cleric the BBC mentions is 'respected', or 'leading' or, well anything but mundane, junior or stupid), Shaikh Saad al-Shethry, who has been sacked from Saudi Arabia's most senior council of religious scholars, or ulema by King Abdullah.

He was dismissed, seemingly for stating that the mixing of sexes in any university was evil and a great sin, and in particular it must be stopped at the new King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

He also demanded the curriculum should be vetted by Islamic scholars to prevent teaching of "alien ideologies" (well that's torn it then, no science teaching!). Oddly, he didn't actually call for the teachers or students to face the 'death penalty', which tells you that the Shaikh is just a closet liberal really.

Apparently its hoped by the government that the technologically advanced centre, with its relaxed social constraints, will help modernise the kingdom's deeply conservative society. It's so 'liberal' that women are allowed to drive cars in the grounds, and are not required to wear veils in classes. Wow, Risque!

Western women, you really don't understand just how dark the new "dark ages" are going to be for you.

Saudi Reforms?

In a surprising story, it was reported that a leading Saudi cleric, Sheikh Salman al-Awda, has called on Muslims not to pray for the destruction of unbelievers. He has said that the 'traditional' supplication to that effect, which is often reiterated at the end of every Friday prayer in Arab countries (and in the Mosques in the West), were against Islamic sharia.

These calls for our deaths are heard around the world and should be stopped, after all we don't call for the deaths of all Muslims, but maybe we should so they would know what that's like. It is very common for the Friday prayer in Muslim societies to end with the Imam calling for the destruction of the "kuffar", the un-believers, to which the worshippers respond "Amen"...... Often the prayer calls specifically for the "Death to Israel, Death to America, Death to Britain" etc etc

Before you think the age of reason has finally arrived in the Islamic heartlands, he went on to say that they were permissible if the interests of Muslims were harmed ..... so no change there then.