updated Fri. March 8, 2024
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NYOOOZ
February 26, 2018
BAREILLY: The Darul Uloom Deoband seminary has supported the fatwa issued by Saudi Arabian clerics against using Quran ayats (verses) as ringtones on mobile phones, terming the practice as un-Islamic.Mufti Arif Qasmi of fatwa cell at Darul Uloom told TOI, “The phone caller may be in the toilet at timeÃÂ ...
NPR
February 26, 2018
The Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, called hajj, was supposed to be the holiest moment of Mona Eltahawy's life. When she was 15, she journeyed ... Still, a part of her fears that conservative Muslim clerics may twist #MosqueMeToo to women's detriment. "The danger is that people could use thisÃÂ ...
Global Voices Online
February 24, 2018
The environment for human rights defenders has become increasingly dangerous as authorities systematically target them on a daily basis. Writers, academics, online activists and clerics have been among those arrested in recent months. In one week alone in September 2017, more than 20 prominentÃÂ ...
Business Insider
February 23, 2018
saudi arabia crown prince Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman and CEO, and Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017.
FRONTLINE
February 21, 2018
18, 2017 for the documentary Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia. ..... Khomeini's authority, the very authority that allowed him to challenge the shah is an authority that's unique to Shia clerics, which enjoy a much greater charisma and infallibility in the eyes of their followers than any Sunni cleric does, right?
Middle East Monitor
February 20, 2018
Al-Otaibi also gave Haftar what he called “three very important recommendations” in which he urged him to “bring some Salafists and clerics closer to him in order to provide him with Sharia advice”, and towards “pleasing Allah and keeping away from sins”. Al-Otaibi, a Saudi Arabian cleric of PalestinianÃÂ ...
FRONTLINE
February 20, 2018
As the two-part film explores, during the 1980s, the United States and Saudi Arabia jointly funded and trained the Afghan mujahedeen to oppose the Soviets in Afghanistan. Wahhabi clerics in Saudi Arabia put a call out for holy warriors that aspiring jihadists, including Osama bin Laden, would ultimatelyÃÂ ...
The Globalist
February 20, 2018
The media published a letter by a prominent Saudi scholar that appointed three ultra-conservative Algerian clerics as the representatives of Salafism. “While Saudi Arabia tries to promote the image of a country that is ridding itself of its fanatics, it sends to other countries the most radical of its doctrines,”à...
The Siasat Daily
February 19, 2018
Women visiting graveyard is “haram”, Saudi cleric issues fatwa ... Jeddah: The clerics of Saudi Arabia are indulging in a controversial issue of women's going to the graveyard. ... Shaik Saleh Al-Fozan, a noted Saudi cleric made it clear that those who support women going to graveyard are telling lies.
The Straits Times
February 18, 2018
The 32-year-old prince pledged a "moderate, open" Saudi Arabia in October, breaking with ultra-conservative clerics in favour of an image catering to foreign investors and Saudi youth. Prince Mohammed is widely seen as the chief architect behind Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" reform programme, whichÃÂ ...
NDTV
February 14, 2018
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A prominent Saudi cleric on Wednesday endorsed Valentine's Day, long forbidden in the ultra-conservative kingdom, calling it a ... has vowed to return the country to "moderate Islam", has further cut back the political role of hardline clerics in a historic reordering of the Saudi state.
gulfnews.com
February 10, 2018
Riyadh - Saudi women should not have to wear the abaya in public, a senior cleric said, in the latest sign of a far-reaching liberalisation drive. “More than 90 per cent ... Shaikh Al Mutlaq's comment sparked a host of reactions on social media, including from other clerics who backed his statement. One SaudiÃÂ ...
ArabianBusiness.com
February 10, 2018
Under Saudi Arabia's existing guardianship system, a male family member -- normally the father, husband or brother -- must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and a host of other activities. Sheikh Mutlaq's comment sparked a host of reactions on social media, including from other clerics whoÃÂ ...
The Guardian
February 10, 2018
Under Saudi Arabia's existing guardianship system, a male family member – normally the father, husband or brother – must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and a host of other activities. Sheikh Mutlaq's comment sparked a host of reactions on social media, including from other clerics whoÃÂ ...
The Straits Times
February 9, 2018
"The influence of conservative clerics has always been exaggerated," said Saudi researcher Hesham Alghannam of Britain's University of Exeter. "Girls' sports, cinemas, concerts or even the disbanding of religious police are not things they can prevent from happening. The kingdom is able to push throughÃÂ ...
Fairfield Daily Republic
February 4, 2018
Last month, Saudi Arabia also lifted a 3 { decade ban on commercial cinema, and in December the country for the first time allowed a female singer to perform solo at a public concert. But while such changes are largely praised by the outside world, they threaten to trigger a backlash by Saudi clerics andÃÂ ...
The Straits Times
February 2, 2018
The insinuation that some children's books sold here containing extremist content originated from Saudi Arabia is troubling (Parents, clerics flag kid's books from Saudi Arabia; Jan 30). Saudi clerics have long condemned terrorist groups. Their fatwas also prohibit Muslims from engaging in foreign conflict.
Los Angeles Times
February 2, 2018
Last month, Saudi Arabia also lifted a 3 1/2 decade ban on commercial cinema, and in December the country for the first time allowed a female singer to perform solo at a public concert. But while such changes are largely hailed by the outside world, they threaten to trigger a backlash by Saudi clerics andÃÂ ...
Middle East Eye
January 31, 2018
Ken Macdonald and Rodney Dixon submitted their report to the council in Geneva on Wednesday, stating that the arrests of prominent clerics, human rights activists, journalists, poets and academics were "in breach of both Saudi and international law". The report was commissioned by family members ofÃÂ ...
CNBC
January 31, 2018
There is also more universal approval of the reforms Bin Salman is making against extremist clerics and the added rights he's securing for women. His financial hand is strong as the impending IPO for Saudi Aramco has much of the investment world angling to get a piece of the action. The world's topÃÂ ...
The Straits Times
January 30, 2018
Some Muslims, including parents and clerics, have raised concerns about a few children's books being sold in Singapore, saying their content could be misunderstood by impressionable young readers and steer them towards violence and extremism. The English books originate from Saudi Arabia andÃÂ ...
Newsweek
January 26, 2018
“The issue now is whether the Saudis will couple their words with action. It's one thing for the Saudis to condemn the Holocaust to an institution based in Washington, D.C. It's another thing altogether for the regime to reign in the many clerics in Saudi Arabia that still deny the Holocaust happened and thatÃÂ ...
Middle East Monitor
January 18, 2018
The International Union of Muslim clerics (IUMS) called on Wednesday for the release of all Muslim clerics arrested in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates . The call came in a statement issued after the son of the Saudi cleric Salman al-Awda announced on Tuesday that his father had beenÃÂ ...
Saudi Gazette
January 16, 2018
ISLAMABAD — More than 1,800 Pakistani Muslim clerics have issued an Islamic directive, or fatwa, forbidding suicide bombings, a book that was unveiled by ... Seeking to curb "terrorism" that has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties since the early 2000s, the clerics declared suicide bombings to beÃÂ ...
Saudi Gazette
January 16, 2018
ISLAMABAD — More than 1,800 Pakistani Muslim clerics have issued an Islamic directive, or fatwa, forbidding suicide bombings, a book that was unveiled by ... Seeking to curb "terrorism" that has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties since the early 2000s, the clerics declared suicide bombings to beÃÂ ...
HuffPost
January 15, 2018
President Donald Trump once was skeptical of the totalitarian dictatorship commonly known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ... The royals long ago made a deal with fundamentalist Wahhabist clergy: the former would enforce social totalitarianism at home in return for the latter teaching obedience to theÃÂ ...
BBC News
January 12, 2018
The move followed the country's first Comic Con convention in Jeddah in February. However there has been some opposition to the reforms by Saudi clerics and conservative members of society. They believe the morals of Saudi citizens will be corrupted and they have challenged perceptions of IslamicÃÂ ...
Middle East Media Research Institute
January 12, 2018
The introduction of physical education in girls' schools was harshly criticized by conservative elements in the kingdom, particularly by clerics, who argued that it was against the spirit of Islam. For example, Senior Saudi Clerics Council member 'Abd Al-Karim Al-Khader determined that it was forbiddenÃÂ ...
Indiana Gazette
January 11, 2018
But today Iran and Saudi Arabia have something new in common: A majority of their populations are under age 30, young people connected through social networks and smartphones. And a growing number of them are fed up with being told how to live their lives by old, corrupt or suffocating clerics — andÃÂ ...
News24
January 11, 2018
In the 2000s, Medina-trained Salafi clerics, backed by Saudi money and patronage, succeeded in upstaging the old Izala clerical order through a mix of youthful charisma, theological novelty and populism. They began entrenching their strict moral code conforming, according to them, to the Islamic ShariaÃÂ ...
New York Times
January 10, 2018
But today Iran and Saudi Arabia have something new in common: A majority of their populations are under age 30, young people connected through social networks and smartphones. And a growing number of them are fed up with being told how to live their lives by old, corrupt or suffocating clerics — andÃÂ ...
Aljazeera.com
January 7, 2018
The drive to modernise the kingdom and open it to the world is spearheaded by the young and ambitious Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS). He is seen as the mastermind behind Riyadh's strategy to revamp the Saudi economy and limit the power of the clerics over state affairs. "We are returning toÃÂ ...
Saudi Gazette
January 3, 2018
Opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rohani hold a protest outside the Iranian embassy in west London, Britain. — Reuters. DUBAI — Iranian authorities are concerned that nationwide unrest will undermine the clerical establishment and want to stamp out the protests quickly, senior government officialsÃÂ ...
gulfnews.com
December 31, 2017
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has begun the groundwork for momentous change next year, defying its conservative reputation for slow, cautious reforms by announcing plans to let women drive, allow movie theatres to return and to issue ... Many Saudi clerics view Western movies and even Arabic films as sinful.
FRANCE 24
December 27, 2017
Saudi Arabia brushed aside rulings from top clerics to host a big money chess tournament, but the gambit to improve the kingdom's image has been jolted by regional powerplays. The landmark event and its record $2 million (1.7 million euro) prize pot come as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looksÃÂ ...
HuffPost
December 18, 2017
Turkish cleric Mehmet Gormez asked a group of Saudi clerics about 45 Saudis executed for terrorist offenses: “These people studied Islam for 10 or 15 ... the Saudi royals have spent $3 to $4 billion a year, roughly $100 billion cumulatively, on educational fellowships and scholarships, Islamic clergy andÃÂ ...
Pakistan Today
December 31, 1999
The IHC verdict cited Ahmed Qassim al Ghamdi, former chief of the religious police in the holy city of Mecca, and many other Saudi clerics, to confirm that it was okay to celebrate Valentine's Day and even promote it in the media, as long as this was done in Arabic. “It is a positive social event andÃÂ ...
gulfnews.com
December 31, 1999
Prince Mohammad, who has vowed to return the country to “moderate Islam”, has further cut back the political role of hardline clerics in a historic reordering of the Saudi state. Florists openly sold red roses and Valentine's Day memorabilia in cities such as Jeddah on Wednesday without any trouble from theÃÂ ...
NBCNews.com
December 31, 1999
7, when he, other clerics and intellectuals were swept up by Saudi authorities? Experts believe the answer is less about theology and more about politics. “It is an assertion of power,” said Michael Stephens, a research fellow for the Middle East at London's RUSI think tank. “It is only reform if it is reform inÃÂ ...
Al-Monitor
December 31, 1999
But the conflict is popular with Saudi clerics, who have long sought to strengthen Sunni Salafist groups in Yemen. In Mahra province in southeast Yemen, the Saudis have set up a Salafist missionary center to propagate Wahhabism, a move that has alarmed the Omanis next door. Senior clerics in MeccaÃÂ ...
CNN
December 31, 1999
The groups say the kingdom has also detained journalists, clerics and activists in the crackdown. "Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's efforts to reform the Saudi economy and society are bound to fail if his justice system scorns the rule of law by ordering arbitrary arrests and punishments," said SarahÃÂ ...
Middle East Monitor
December 31, 1999
The Saudi authorities have imposed a travel ban on 17 members of prominent cleric Salman Al-Ouda's immediate family, Human Rights Watch (HRW) ... Al-Ouda was among the first of dozens of dissidents, writers and clerics who were detained in mid-September in a state-led crackdown against those itÃÂ ...
HuffPost
December 18, 2017
Most important, while limiting the influence of fundamentalist clerics at home, he has not yet dropped the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's longstanding support ... the Saudi royals have spent $3 to $4 billion a year, roughly $100 billion cumulatively, on educational fellowships and scholarships, Islamic clergy andÃÂ ...
Anadolu Agency
December 17, 2017
A top Sudanese security source on Sunday denied reports that eight Saudi opposition clerics had been deported to the Horn of Africa nation. An Arabic media organ linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- the group behind last year's defeated coup in Turkey -- had reported that Saudi ArabiaÃÂ ...
ABC News
December 13, 2017
These are all moves that had been criticized in the past by the grand mufti and other ultraconservative Saudi clerics. King Salman emphasized in his speech that Saudi Arabia will not contradict the principles of its faith as it "moves forward on the path of development and modernization." His speech comesÃÂ ...
New York Times
December 11, 2017
Although satellite television and video downloads have made the ban on commercial theaters all but irrelevant, the announcement highlights the diminishing power of the kingdom's conservative clerics. The grand mufti, Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority, publicly called commercial films a source ofÃÂ ...
New York Times
December 8, 2017
LONDON — Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, acting through a friend and distant cousin, was the true buyer behind the ... Saudi clerics also teach that Islam prohibits any work of art representing a human being, and that the depiction of any of the prophets is especially forbidden.
New York Times
December 3, 2017
Months before his ascendancy in June, M.B.S. signaled that the influence of the clergy could be an obstacle to economic growth and Saudi Arabia's ability to wean itself off its oil-revenue dependency. If the clerics resist having their wings clipped, they are likely to openly oppose encroaching westernizationÃÂ ...
The Times
December 1, 2017
In the weeks beforehand, there was a round-up of writers and activists that attracted far less attention. Some were clerics, possibly for fear of a backlash against reforms from hardline Islamists. In fact the leading cleric arrested, Salman al-Awdah, one of Saudi Arabia's most popular television commentators,ÃÂ ...
Daily Times
November 12, 2017
To any Pakistan watcher, Pakistan's dependence on Saudi Arabia and ... In the West, Saudi-backed clergy often controls the mosque networks.
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