Saudi clerics criticised for withdrawing fatwas

A Saudi religious scholar, wanted by the local authorities for his extremist ideas has condemned the recent public recantations by several former militant scholars, according to a report carried by the Arabic daily Asharq Al Awsat and reported in the Saudi Gazette.

Abdullah Nasser Al Rashid, on the wanted list of the Saudi authorities, in his recently published book, Shattered Recantations has criticised the recantations of scholars Ali Al Khudair, Nasser Al Fahad and Hmoud Al Khalidi.

Since the November 9 Al Mohayya compound bombing, these scholars have withdrawn their earlier religious edicts (fatwas) about the ongoing tussle in the Kingdom between the security agencies and the extremists.

The three jailed clerics publicly renounced their violence-endorsing fatwas on Saudi television. Al Rashid while denouncing their recantations in his book, has quoted their teachings on several occasions before.

According to reports, Al Rashid said in his book that he doubts that Al Khalidi had disavowed his fatwas, even though the latter had appeared on national TV saying so.

The paper said that the book appears to have been written after Al Khudair and Al Fahad recanted, but before Al Khalidi did, even though the book's cover carries the names of all three.

Al Rashid likened the three clerics to Egypt's Islamic Jamaa and their recantations from behind the bars of Egyptian jails, saying they were forced to do so, but said that God had praised anyone who retracts what needs to be retracted.