Saudi cleric labels joining Al Qaida un-Islamic

Riyadh: Joining Al Qaida is forbidden in Islam, according to senior Saudi scholar Shaikh Abdul Mohsen Al Obeikan.

Obeikan, who is a top advisor in the court of Saudi King Abdullah, made his commends in the Okaz newspaper.

“Affiliation with the so-called Al Qaida group is haram (or banned under Islamic teachings)”, he said.

Al Qaida’s ideology, according to the official Saudi view, was one of takfirism, which is forbidden.

The concept of takfir is used by Al Qaida, as a way of justifying killing someone by accusing them of apostasy.

Saudi Arabia has stepped up its efforts to dissuade Saudis from joining Al Qaida, especially in light of its strong re-emergence in its southern neighbour, Yemen.