Destroy all churches in the Arabian Peninsula

[Zeven]

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has said that all churches in the Arabian Peninsula must be destroyed. The statement prompted anger and dismay from Christians throughout the Middle East.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah made the controversial statement in a response to a question from a Kuwaiti NGO delegation. A Kuwaiti parliamentarian had called for a ban on the construction of new churches in February, but so far the initiative has not been passed into law. The NGO, called the Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage, asked the Sheikh to clarify what Islamic law says on the matter.

The Grand Mufti, who is the highest official of religious law in Saudi Arabia, as well as the head of the Supreme Council of Islamic Scholars, cited the Prophet Mohammed, who said the Arabian Peninsula is to exist under only one religion.

The Sheikh went on to conclude that it was therefore necessary for Kuwait, being a part of the Arabian Peninsula, to destroy all churches on its territory.

The above is only an excerpt. Here's the source.

What a joke this guy is. Seriously...

[IBM]

His title is Grand Mufti, 'nuff said

[Blaidd59]

Could you imagine the response if a ' Christian ' country said destroy all mosques

[Phage]

We have had 400 years of the slow but persistent secularisation and freedoms. Prior to that, we happily persecuted Catholics/Protestants/Jews/Anyone as well.
I hope that the people of the Middle East will throw off their prejudices in time.

[Fraz]

Religion proves its worth again.

[Zeven]

What I find frightening is that this guy is a top authority of Islam. He is on the same level as the Pope pretty much...and he's spouting such crap. Worrying, isn't it?

[Knoxville]

What I find frightening is that this guy is a top authority of Islam. He is on the same level as the Pope pretty much...and he's spouting such crap. Worrying, isn't it?

Not really. Look at it this way... Do you listen to the pope?

This one's not even a Harlem Globe Trotter...

[peterb]

Not really. Look at it this way... Do you listen to the pope?

This one's not even a Harlem Globe Trotter...

No, but he is likely to have a more radical following than the Pope, and therefore makes his pronouncements more worrying for those that use religion as an excuse for violence.

[Knoxville]

I don't know that he is, the pope has had some pretty radical followers over the years... Meh, it just irks me that every time a Muslim cleric or someone of some rank within the faith says something stupid or with worrying connotations we cry blue murder and drag out the pope as a yard stick, the media do it all the time and it's a terrible comparison in my opinion.

The pope bashes homosexuality, womens rights and contraception publicly to audiences of hundreds of thousands, hides pederasts in his spare time and charges us for tickets every time he rolls through town in an armoured Merc; and at cost to the taxpayer no less. Not to mention crimes and collusion carried out by previous administrations behind the walls of the worlds richest sovereign city.

Every time I've seen one speak they've said something hateful yet artfully veiled by religion, no front page headlines follow, no outrage, no uproar...

Personally I like to think it's because nobody takes them too seriously, that even the devoutly religious have more important priorities in life like working, eating, sleeping and finding the remote. Yeah, there are always going to be zealots, and there'll always be someone to manipulate them but based on my interactions with people of other faiths I also like to think most of them adopt a similar attitude to their outspoken idiots as we do.

"Keep Calm and Carry On" to quote a famous poster

As for whether or not there should be Christian churches in the Arabian Peninsula I myself have no stake in either side of the argument. Were the churches and religion there to begin with though or did we install and force Christianity where it wasn't welcome when we swept through on one of our many crusades? If we did then I have no problem with people tearing them down to be honest, just like I have no problem with Norwegians lighting up a church from time to time, provided there's nobody in it at the time of course!! True faith comes from within after all, you don't need a building to pray