Saudi cleric says fatwa on TV programmes misunderstood

Riyadh: Shaikh Saleh Al Luhaidan, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Council, has said that his controversial fatwa permitting the killing of the owners of television networks broadcasting "depravation and debauchery" was misinterpreted and used out of its context.

"What I said about the killing of the owners of these channels is that it is permissible for the authorities to kill them in accordance with a judicial ruling if they do not stop such evil transmissions," he said.

In a lengthy interview with Saudi TV on Sunday, he said that his fatwa was on the satellite TV channels which promote sorcery and transmit topics calling for polytheism.

He pointed out his fatwa was issued four months ago when he called on owners of specific channels to repent to God and to stop broadcasting their immoral materials.

He urged the owners of these channels not to use their media to broadcast programmes that promote black magic and indecency. "I never expected this fatwa, which was talking about sorcery would become a controversial issue after four months, to be carried by Arab and foreign channels without my full remarks being carried," he said.

Another statement

Meanwhile, another senior Saudi cleric has come out with controversial statements. Shaikh Saleh Al Fozan told Al Madina daily on Sunday that astrologers on Arab television should face the death penalty.

"Sorcerers who appear on satellite channels have committed a great crime ... and the Muslim consensus is that the apostate's punishment is death by the sword," he said.