Saudi Grand Mufti : Destroy all churches but allow Muslim to preach all over world

Saudi Grand Mufti : Destroy all churches but allow Muslim to preach all over world

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has said that all churches in the Arabian Peninsula must be destroyed. The statement prompted anger and dismay from Christians throughout the Middle East.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah made the controversial statement in a response to a question from a Kuwaiti NGO delegation. A Kuwaiti parliamentarian had called for a ban on the construction of new churches in February, but so far the initiative has not been passed into law. The NGO, called the Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage, asked the Sheikh to clarify what Islamic law says on the matter.

The Grand Mufti, who is the highest official of religious law in Saudi Arabia, as well as the head of the Supreme Council of Islamic Scholars, cited the Prophet Mohammed, who said the Arabian Peninsula is to exist under only one religion.The Sheikh went on to conclude that it was therefore necessary for Kuwait, being a part of the Arabian Peninsula, to destroy all churches on its territory. In February, Kuwaiti MP Osama al-Munawar announced on Twitter that he was planning to submit legislation that would remove all churches in the country. However, he later clarified that existing churches should remain, while the construction of new non-Islamic places of worship would be banned.

Another MP, Mohamemd Hayef, backed al-Munawar, saying the number of churches in the country was already disproportionate to the number of Christians.As for Saudi Arabia, all religions other than Islam are banned and there are no churches, although a small minority of Christians is theoretically allowed to practice their religion in the privacy of their own home.The Grand Mufti’s words have caused a heated response from Christians living in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries throughout the Middle East. A number of bloggers also wrote on the issue.

“Considering the hysteria that besets the West whenever non-authoritative individuals offend Islam – for instance, a fringe, unknown pastor – imagine what would happen if a Christian counterpart to the Grand Mufti, say the Pope, were to declare that all mosques in Italy must be destroyed; imagine the nonstop Western media frenzy that would erupt, all the shrill screams of 'intolerance' and 'bigot,' demands for apologies if not resignation, nonstop handwringing by sensitive politicians, and worse,” Raymond Ibrahim of Jihad Watch, a blog critical of extremist Islamic laws, wrote.

-Restrictions on Islam in the West

-The Grand Mufti’s words seem to mirror what a number of US politicians have been calling for – only their words were aimed at mosques and Muslims. In January, Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain said Americans have a constitutional right to ban mosques, arguing that Islam combines church and state, which contradicts the US Constitution.

"They're using the church part of our First Amendment to infuse their morals in that community, and the people of that community do not like it,” Cain said on Fox News Sunday.In November, Pat Buchanan, who vied for the Republican presidential nomination on a number of occasions, agreed with radio host Bryan Fischer in promoting limits to immigration from Islamic countries and the construction of new mosques.


In 2009 a constitutional amendment banning the construction of minarets was adopted in Switzerland following a referendum on the subject. Almost 58 per cent of the population said yes to the initiative, although the traditionally leftist French-speaking part of the country rejected it. The construction of new minarets is now banned throughout Switzerland, though the four existing minarets in Zurich, Geneva, Winterthur and Wangei bei Olten are to remain.In 2010, French legislators banned face-covering headgear in public. The ban meant that women caught wearing the burqa in public could be fined up to 150 euros and/or be forced to participate in citizenship education. Proponents of the legislation argued that face covering was both an issue of security and social integrity, as facial recognition is important for communication. Opponents said the law encroached on personal freedoms.

He is right in his demand.Saudi arab is islamic country hence it has to rule by quran.Its not a secular country hence you can have palces of worship for other religion there its a shirk to have temple churches etc on holy islamic land of saudi arab.Muslims demand right to prayer and right to construct mosques only in countries where constitution of the country allow it.If you want not to allow muslims to make mosques etc then why dont you declare your respective country as hindu country or christian country or bhuddist country like saudi arab did why run this facade of secularism and cry hoarse.Muslims never demand mosques in vatican city.Why this hypocrisy from hindus they call india as secular but they dont allow construction of mosque and church on tirumala hills.

We should destroy all mosques and ship Arabs back to Africa.

Then why oppose Ram Mandhir ??

Woman, another Excellent post to re-affirm my suspicions that you are a Hindu Fanboy living in India

Two days back some one was arguing with me

Insane fanatics are in every religion, why worry so much about them, more attention you pay to them, stronger they get.

Coz mosque was already standing at that land and hindus wanted to replace mosque with mandir which is not allowed bu law and constitution.



who cares whatever float your boat.

Islamic hypocrisy is getting more evident day by day!! In their majority countries they don't cut any slack to other religions, and in non-islamic countries they want all the rights including your horrendous Sharia!

@ ajtr

In India there are millions of mosques, still millions are being constructed.....why the hell Tirumala is in question, are we talking about Mecca which was a temple earlier? We are talking about KSA the country not a temple or a mosque complex!

With this type of mentality and ideology, no doubt muslims are being considered the most despised and deluded-backward people in the world!

If you dont know(or simply pretending) the place you are talking about was birth place of Ram and Babar destroyed it,slaughtered cows on it and later made mosque on it.This was a common practice of mogul invaders who treated Hindus as Kafirs.

So your basic logic of "mosque was standing first" is flawed to the core.

... coming back to the topic... news like these give perfect grounds for Islamophobia.

Argue?? I was agreeing with Moroccan Imams who say go back to Morocco. If you think you live in a toillette bowl, please leave.

But the west will not learn.

Iran has a little more than 600 churches and several tens of synagogues
Syria has several hundred churches and several tens of synagogues.

Saudi Arabia has banned everything. Yet the west seems incluned to go after the moderate Shia's and spare the psychopath Sunni's in the gulf.

I have been saying this for a very long time. The US has picked the wrong side in its games in ME.

The US picked the side which was willing to sell themselves.

Till 79 even Shah was a puppet of the West. Iran was a country who forcefully went away from West and America had little choice there.

Maybe they can quietly co-opt it ala Myanmar...but the Arabs and Israel would be highly suspect of any American rapprochment towards Iran.

Just to make Things clear .... The Grand Mufti is not Advocating destruction of Churches in Saudi Arabia

There are already No Churches or Temples in Saudi Arabia as a State policy ....

He's Advocating so in All of Arabian Peninsula .... That is Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) , Oman , Yemen and Ofcourse KSA
which all do allow building of other religous worship Facilities then Islamic ones....despite being states with Islam as the Official Religion
with the exception of KSA ....

Dont know if he includes Syria as well...which is ofcourse a Secular state


Anyways this quite is an Old News Though ..!!

No it hasn't ....Iran is a Theocracy ...

KSA is a Monarchy ...
its obviously a much easier task to control a Monarchy ....

and like Karthic said .... US obviously did back Iran as along as it was a Monarchy too ...