Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RIYADH2501
2007-12-15 14:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

SAUDI GRAND MUFTI CALLS FOR TERRORISTS TO BE

Tags:  PTER CVIS KISL SA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2731
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHRH #2501/01 3491439
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151439Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7268
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 9294
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 RIYADH 002501 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR NRAMCHAND, S/CT FOR EINGALLS,
INR FOR SMOFFAT/AALRAHIM, IRF FOR AGOMBIS, DRL/NESCA FOR
JLIEBERMAN, AND NEA/ARP FOR DAS
GGRAY/ASTEINFELD/RJACHIM/SRAMESH.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2017
TAGS: PTER CVIS KISL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI GRAND MUFTI CALLS FOR TERRORISTS TO BE
PUBLICLY CRUCIFIED

REF: A. RIYADH 2080

B. RIYADH 2049

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 RIYADH 002501

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR NRAMCHAND, S/CT FOR EINGALLS,
INR FOR SMOFFAT/AALRAHIM, IRF FOR AGOMBIS, DRL/NESCA FOR
JLIEBERMAN, AND NEA/ARP FOR DAS
GGRAY/ASTEINFELD/RJACHIM/SRAMESH.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2017
TAGS: PTER CVIS KISL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI GRAND MUFTI CALLS FOR TERRORISTS TO BE
PUBLICLY CRUCIFIED

REF: A. RIYADH 2080

B. RIYADH 2049

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Saudi Interior Ministry announced on
November 28 the arrest of 208 suspected terrorists. The
Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Alsheikh
declared two days later during his Friday November 30 sermon
(translated text attached) that deviant groups are corrupting
the land and those guilty of corrupting the land should be
subjected to "had al harraba", an Islamic punishment that can
include public crucifixion. Al-AlSheikh warned Saudis
against the dangers of extremism, condemning those who
sympathize with al-Qaeda and advising Saudi youth to "stay on
the straight path." Several papers published articles and
op-eds on the sermon, including a front page, above the fold
article in the December 1 edition of the widely-read pan-Arab
daily al-Sharq al-Awsat. A SAG official noted that the Grand
Mufti's focus on the political crime of "al harraba" (or
spreading corruption) was unusual for a Friday sermon and may
indicate that public crucifixion is likely for the
ringleaders of the terror cells. Most Embassy contacts
viewed the sermon as another chapter in Saudi Arabia's
ideological war on terrorism. While this may not be the first
time that the Grand Mufti has advocated "had al harraba" to
extremists, Post considers the sermon to be another example
of the ruling family's commitment to fighting terrorism. On
the heels of the Grand Mufti's October 1 fatwa against Saudi
foreign fighters (reftels),clearly the Al-Saud believe that
society will back them as they encourage religious leaders to
publicly decry extremist ideology and call for harsh measures
to protect Saudi society. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The Interior Ministry announced on November 28 the
arrest over the past few months of 208 suspected terrorists,
who had been plotting to attack an oil installation in the
Eastern Province and assassinate prominent Islamic scholars

and security figures. Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz
bin Abdullah Al-Alsheikh decried the foiled terrorist plots
during his November 30 "khutba" or Friday sermon at the
Turki bin Abdullah mosque in central Riyadh. According to
the December 1 edition of as-Sharq al-Awsat, the Grand Mufti
declared that individuals who espouse "takfiri" or extremist
ideology are evil and should be subjected to an Islamic
punishment for severe crimes known as "had al harraba."
Based on Sura 5, verses 33-34 of the Qur'an, this punishment
could involve exile, amputation of an individual's hand and
opposite foot, beheading, or publicly crucifying the beheaded
body. According to the as-Sharq al-Awsat article, the Grand
Mufti warned Saudis against the dangers of extremism,
condemning "any attempt to sympathize with al-Qaeda" and
advising Saudi youth to "be aware of the plotters... and not
heed the views of the misguided." Op-eds in the December 1
and 2 editions of the liberal al-Watan concurred with the
Grand Mufti's sermon and called for "had al harraba" against
Saudis and foreigners engaged in terrorism. The December 6
edition of the Saudi Gazette stated that the Grand Mufti was
one of the prime targets of the arrested terrorists.

-------------- --------------
SERMON CONNECTS TERRORISM TO CRUCIFIXION IMPLICITLY
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Contacts at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs,
Endowments, Call, and Guidance (MOIA) transcribed the Grand
Mufti's sermon from a taped recording and shared the text
with the Embassy. The translated sermon (see paragraph seven)
consists of two parts -- first an overview of his general
points and second a focused discussion of his main point.
The first part includes typical references to the oneness of
God, the five pillars of Islam, and the necessity of "had" (a
form of Islamic punishment) to protect Muslim society from
criminal acts. In addition to stealing and alcohol
consumption, the Grand Mufti comments on the necessity of
"had al harraba" or punishment for spreading corruption in
the land. The second part speaks at length about people who
"have gone astray," "who are no longer able to discern right
from wrong," and "who spread corruption on earth." The Grand
Mufti refers to the recent capture of the terrorists by
noting "with God's grace and guidance, the specialized
authorities were able to catch them before their poison was
released and their plans were aborted by the security men
with God's help." He also alludes to "the sons who deviated
from the straight path" or the 7th century Islamic heretical

RIYADH 00002501 002 OF 004


groups, known as Kharijites. In summary, the sermon states
in the first part that "had al harraba" is a necessary
punishment for those who spread corruption and then denounces
in the second part the deviant groups that spread corruption,
which lays the groundwork for justifying the crucifixion of
terrorists.

-------------- --------------
SAG OFFICIAL BELIEVES THAT PUBLIC CRUCIFIXION IS LIKELY
-------------- --------------


4. (C) MOIA Assistant Deputy Minister for Islamic Affairs Dr.
Abdullah al-Leheedan commented to PolOff on December 2 that
it "may have been the first time" that the Grand Mufti openly
called for "had al harraba" against terrorists, but he was
not surprised by the language. He noted the Grand Mufti's
implicit connection of terrorism to this punishment, as
opposed to the media's more blunt rendering. He added that
it was "unusual" that a political crime like "harraba" (or
spreading corruption) was mentioned alongside more mundane
vices like adultery. He noted that the exact punishment
would depend on the severity of the crime. Therefore,
beheading and public display of the body (or crucifixion) was
likely for the ringleaders of the terrorist cells. Finally,
he remarked that "had al harraba" is not uncommon, citing the
examples of the 1979 execution of the leaders of the raid on
the Mecca mosque, the 1990s execution of "Rashash," a
Riyadh-based gang leader, and the 2006 execution of a
Bangladeshi murderer.

-------------- --------------
MOST SAUDIS CONSIDER SERMON TO BE PART OF THE WAR ON TERROR
-------------- --------------


5. (C) With the exception of a liberal writer who found the
sermon to be unusual, most Embassy contacts found the sermon
to be another page in the SAG's ideological war on terrorism.
A conservative member of the Riyadh Municipal Council told
PolOff on December 1 that "Islam includes national security,"
so any threats against national security must be addressed by
a person of the Grand Mufti's stature. He added that the
sermon was "not significant," because the Grand Mufti made
similar comments after the 2003 Riyadh bombings. A liberal
Shi'a intellectual told PolOff on December 2 that the sermon
was merely lipservice to satisfy Interior Minister Prince
Nayif bin Abdul Aziz. He noted that the Grand Mufti is
compensated well by the Al-Saud, so the scholar's words are
carefully scripted to match the regime's message. A former
Shari'a judge and now prominent lawyer told PolOff on
December 9 that the Grand Mufti made similar statements after
previous terrorist attacks based on the "whispering" of the
royal family. He ruefully noted that "had al harraba" is a
very flexible punishment, which can be arbitrarily applied by
"each of the country's 800 judges." He noted the range of
possible punishments from exile (interpreted to be
imprisonment in modern times) to public crucifixion, which is
usually reserved for "very public murders that challenge the
government." He added that the sermon itself did not hold as
much weight or influence as a collective decision of the
entire Council of Senior Ulema, which the Grand Mufti chairs.


6. (C) COMMENT: While this may not be the first time that the
Grand Mufti has advocated for "had al harraba" against
extremists, the sermon and the related front page, above the
fold article in as-Sharq al-Awsat clearly demonstrate the
ruling family's influence over the religious establishment
and commitment to fighting terrorism. This sermon is a sign
of the regime's self-confidence; they are not hedging their
bets. On the heels of the Grand Mufti's October 1 fatwa
against Saudi foreign fighters (reftels),it is evident that
the Al-Saud believe that society will back them as they
encourage religious leaders to publicly decry extremist
ideology and advocate for such a harsh form of punishment for
extremists. Considering that the Grand Mufti himself was one
of the main targets, the Al-Saud know the value of continued
cooperation with and co-optation of mainstream clerics and
scholars to decry takfiri ideology. END COMMENT.

--------------
PARTIAL TEXT OF THE GRAND MUFTI'S SERMON
--------------


7. (C) Below is the Embassy's English translation of parts of
the Grand Mufti's November 30 sermon.

BEGIN TEXT

RIYADH 00002501 003 OF 004



EXCERPTS OF THE FIRST PART:

O Muslims, God's blessings to us are great... There is
nothing besides Islam besides going astray... Worshipping
must be for God alone.... God did not create in you love for
shrines and graves of the dead, or ask third persons to
mediate between you and God...Monotheism must be adhered
to... Those who deviate from the straight path are those who
worship living and dead people... Duties of Islam, including
praying, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage, must be adhered
to... God has endowed you with legitimate sources of
income...(so there is no need) for lying, cheating,
hypocrisy, or criminal activities to earn money...

Thank God that he prevented forbidden things for the welfare
of man and society, such as adultery and being unfair to
people's blood, money, and honor... Muslims should be
brothers to Muslims. They should not beguile or be unfair to
each other. They should protect society from disintegration
and deviation...

To protect Muslim society, God has legalized various
punishments for serious crimes... For stealing, there is
cutting the hand of the thief. Drinking alcohol will spoil
your mind...

He has required the imposition of "had al harraba" against
the corruptors, the violators of security, and those who
spread corruption on earth, so that society will be safe from
the evil, injustice, and corruption of these people.

O Muslims, God is merciful.


FULL TEXT OF THE SECOND PART:

Abundant and blessed praise be to Allah.

O Mankind do your duty to your Lord full.

Servants of God, God has bestowed on us great blessings and
goodness. This blessed country enjoys great blessings: the
Islamic shari'a, established security, abundant sustenance,
unity, and comfort. All these blessings are enjoyed by
Muslims in this country and their brother residents where
they are secure in their souls, properties, chastity, and
lives.

We live in this blessed country along with residents from
other Muslim countries in security and stability and enjoy
great blessings. Each one of us plays his role and performs
his duty with peace of mind secure in his soul, money, and
dignity.

O Muslims, some people, we seek refuge in God, have turned
upside down, they lost their heads and became like animals
unable to distinguish between rightness and falsehood. "They
are only like cattle. Nay, they are worse astray in their
path." (Sura 25, Verse 44)

Some people have gone astray, not knowing where they are
turning to. Those, we seek refuge in God, a group whose
insight became blurred, and their eyes blind -- no longer
able to discern right from wrong. They became mere tools in
the hands of the enemies who move them and manipulate them as
they please.

This Muslim country receives every year millions of Hajj
pilgrims and Umra performers, who find peace and stability in
the two holy mosques.

But, while we seek refuge in God, the enemies would not rest
in peace while they see our blessings. They have no comfort
as they envy those who have received God's blessings and
goods.

Enemies are known as enemies, but the disaster is that some
who are counted as Muslims and call themselves Muslims try to
harm Muslims and spread corruption on earth without any
vision of thought.

Where is the faith that deters these crimes? Where is the
faith that deters these crimes?

True faith makes one protect the blood, souls, and money of

RIYADH 00002501 004 OF 004


Muslims.

This blessed country is envied by the enemies for being a
Muslim country applying the rule of God. Shari'a courts are
established and their rules are applied. They envy our
security and the connection between the people and their
ruler.

They envy our security and our blessings. This country went
through one hundred years of blessings, security, stability,
and prosperity, where its entire people united in one heart
cooperating for goodness and piety. They envy us for all of
our blessings.

O Muslim Youth,

I advise you to be pious and vigilant against the wickedness
of the wicked and to not listen to the views of the deviants
and aggressors who want harm and plagues for the nation.
Stay on the straight path. Your enemies want no good for
you, but they want to steal your blessings.

They want chaos in the lands of Muslims. They want to
violate dignity and steal money. But the "sustainer is ever
on the watch," but "in the end such evil scheming will only
engulf none but its authors."

O Muslim,

What have we heard and read of the mislead group that
deviated from the straight path and went astray from the
correct road, while claiming Islam is far from Islam?

The true Muslim would not commit any act that harms the
nation in its present or future and would not accept
corruption or harm of the nation. The believer loves for his
brothers what he loves for himself and hates for others what
he hates from himself.

Those who cooperate with the enemies are to be considered
criminals, deviants, corrupt, and lost.

O Muslim,

The whole Muslim society should have a united stand against
those who spread corruption in the land. We should not
approve or support criminals, nor have compassion for them or
hide them or give them any consideration. The Muslim should
know that they are a criminal deviant group that wants to
spread corruption in the land.

However, with God's grace and guidance, the specialized
authorities were able to catch them before their poison was
released and their plans were aborted by the security men
with God's help. May God guide them and support them.

The security of the nation is an important matter that should
be guarded by every Muslim, in order to stop the deviant
groups that want to harm Muslims, afflict evil on them,
spread corruption on earth, and allow the enemies to
interfere in Muslim countries. This is the intention of the
enemies whether the doers know this or not.

Muslims should be concerned for their countries. The Muslim
lands were not occupied, nor were their economic and
political entities destroyed except by the hands of their
sons who deviated from the straight path. The enemies
employed such groups to execute their plans and achieve their
desires. Let us be vigilant against the corrupters. Let us
hold tight to our religion and obedience to our ruler and
pray for God's support. You should know that the
responsibility of protecting the nation is a form of a holy
war and fulfillment of our duties. May God guide our leaders
to what He loves and be pleased with and protect us from the
envy and viciousness of the vicious.
END TEXT.
FRAKER