Revered Saudi cleric denounces Shi'ites as infidels

[maddezmom]

DUBAI, Dec 29 (Reuters) - An influential cleric of Saudi Arabia's hardline Sunni school of Islam has denounced Shi'ite Muslims as "infidels" in a new religious edict that comes amid rising sectarian tension in the region.

"The rejectionists (Shi'ites) in their entirety are the worst of the Islamic nation's sects. They bear all the characteristics of infidels," Sheikh Abdel-Rahman al-Barrak said in the fatwa, or ruling, distributed on Islamist Web sites.

"They are in truth polytheist infidels, though they hide this," it said, citing theological differences 14 centuries after the death of the Prophet Mohammad, such as reverence of shrines which followers of Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi school consider abhorrent.

Concern is growing in Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam, over Shi'ite-Sunni violence in Iraq which has taken the northern neighbour to the brink of civil war. Sunni-Shi'ite tensions are also high in Lebanon, where Shi'ites are leading efforts to bring down a Sunni-led cabinet.
more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29791215.htm

[hobbit709]

1. Like that is going to help

The Sunnis and the Shi'ites have called each other that for 1300 years.

[ck4829]

2. Hey look! It's our ally in the war on terror! They're helping us out oh soooo much!

:sarcasm:

[nealmhughes]

3. Persians vs. Arabs. Nothing new here.

[stillcool]

4. Divide and Conquer...

what a concept..

[Paulie]

5. Sounds like Osama

From the same tradition, so not surprising. The Saudi's just can't stand those Shiite (as they call them, "dogs") holding on to all that oil...

[grahamhgreen]

6. Sounds like 'we will not negotiate with terrorists'

"The Sunni and Shi'ites schools of Islam are opposites that can never agree, there can be no coming together unless Sunnis give up their principles," the fatwa said."

I imagine that the 'troop surge' has been ordered by the Saudi's to protect themselves from the infidel hordes.

[Texifornia]

8. There are a lot of Sh'ia in the N.W. Province

of the K.S.A.

That's the primary oil producing, refining, and shipping region for Saudi Aramco.

What could go wrong?

[jaysunb]

7. This is not good.

n/t

[Trajan]

9. One of the reasons I love religion ...

SO many opportunities to condemn the heretics ... so little orthodoxy ...

I hurled anathemas at my son just this morning .... he woke up after the 'Praying for French Toast' ritual .... AGAIN ! ...

I had to cast him to the devils ....

:sarcasm:

[SemperEadem]

10. there's no such thing as a shi'ite

it's Shi'a. THat's like calling a christian a 'christite'.

[mainegreen]

11. Ah, that good old Wahabi tolerance. nt