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Arabia
Saudi's Issue Fatwa Against al-Jazeera
2004-05-20
Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority issued a "fatwa" or religious edict Thursday banning Muslims from watching Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV. The edict issued by Sheik Saleh al-Fawzan, a member of the kingdom's committee of ulemas, described the Arab satellite channel as "Zionist television," which hosts "so-called reformists who have a podium for airing their poisonous ideas."
al-Jazeera, the mouthpiece of al-Qeada, is "Zionist TV". Who knew?
I'm not really a lover of al-Jizzplatter, but where in the Koran does it say you can't watch it? Or is it in one of the hadiths?
"There is no need to set up satellite dishes to watch the news on al-Jazeera ... Saudis can have access to all the news and information through Saudi newspapers, radio and television," the edict said.
Saudi News Network - "We Report, You Believe, Or Else".
It cautioned Muslims against "introducing evil to their homes and destroying them by watching al-Jazeera, which is a provocative and evil channel hosting people who interpret religion as they please. "Watching al-Jazeera is an evil in itself," it added.
Well, OK.
The popular satellite TV channel hosts Saudi opposition figures and activists calling for political and social reforms in the Muslim conservative kingdom.
I think I'd call this a dumb reaction to a tiresome problem. If it wasn't Soddy Arabia we were talking about, I'd point out that the solution to al-Jizzles isn't to ban watching it, but to give alternatives to it, be it I Love Lucy reruns, All Bollywood All the Time, or wrestling.
Posted by:Steve

#16  Hank is right. I was completely fooled by this curve - al-Jazerra is surreptitiously helping the Jews.
Posted by: Sam   2004-05-20 10:33:01 PM  

#15  Them curvy knifed shieks done threw us another curve.
Posted by: Hank   2004-05-20 10:12:15 PM  

#14  Zionist. It really is the 'magic word" over there, isn't it?
Posted by: tu3031   2004-05-20 9:20:39 PM  

#13  "...solution to al-Jizzles isn't to ban watching it, but to give alternatives to it..."

WNBA Basketball?
Posted by: Old Grouch   2004-05-20 7:43:19 PM  

#12  Agreed, Zenster.
Posted by: The Doctor   2004-05-20 3:53:09 PM  

#11  The suprise meter does work!

Not mine. The Saudis will assume any contortionist posture necessary to preserve their tenuous grip on power. These latest theological gymnastics are merely the predictable outcome of the Saudis realizing that any freedoms they have granted in their moral cesspool of a country have served the ends of Wahabbist fanatics better than their own selves or that of the disaffected population.

The House of Saud is on a collision course with reality and all the harems, racehorses and solid gold bathroom faucets in the world aren't going to prevent it. What the Saudis refuse to recognize, in congenital traditional Arab fashion, is that they have struggled valiantly to breed up this monster for several decades and now must pay the piper. Much like some too well known refugees over in Gaza.
Posted by: Zenster   2004-05-20 12:43:43 PM  

#10  They've got to be, cancelling Angel like they did.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2004-05-20 11:18:59 AM  

#9  wb network is zionist conspiracy to.
Posted by: muck4doo   2004-05-20 11:09:32 AM  

#8  They forgot. Al-Jazzera is like the old potato chip commercial; WELL SEASONED and provocative. . .

Remember what I said of the sexual repression and the term "Zionist"? It's like a fetish with "conservative" Muslims.
Posted by: BigEd   2004-05-20 10:56:09 AM  

#7  Howard Dean Saudi's Issues Fatwa Against Fox News Channel al-Jazeera


heh heh
Posted by: Chris W.   2004-05-20 10:51:07 AM  

#6  by watching al-Jazeera, which is a provocative and evil channel

Whoa! A kernel of truth!
Posted by: dreadnought   2004-05-20 10:44:08 AM  

#5  Yet again, the seventh century shoots itself in the foot. Not a good idea.

. . . evil channel hosting people who interpret religion as they please. That, I'd suspect, is the key, right there. In its current state, Islam is inherently self-destructive; it tends to do this kind of thing, restricting freedom of interpretation in the name of "righteousness." I may not be a big fan of Al-Jizz, but at least it is an alternative to the Wahhabi crap. The "smarter" of two idiots, you might say, though to borrow an old phrase, being intelligent in the Middle East is like getting the gold medal in the Special Olympics: you may win but you're still retarded. In any case, I doubt this is going to go over very well.

Though if Islam is going to reform itself, I think it'll have to be done from the bottom, from Muslims who care more about the truth as they see it than what their damned mullahs say and sheiks say. But to do that, they first need to care more about others, and to think for themselves, which Islam tends to prevent. Not good.
Posted by: The Doctor   2004-05-20 10:35:39 AM  

#4  lol! The suprise meter does work!
Posted by: B   2004-05-20 10:31:31 AM  

#3  Watching al-Jazeera is an evil in itself . . .

Finally, a fatwa we can all agree with!
Posted by: Mike   2004-05-20 10:30:41 AM  

#2  don't they ever get tried of the whole "Zionist" thing?
Posted by: Yosemite Sam   2004-05-20 10:29:05 AM  

#1  Mmmm... that'll go down well. One of few channels regularly showing the kafirs™ 'getting some.' Revolution in Saudi in 5... 4... 3...
Posted by: The 13th Duke of Wybourne   2004-05-20 10:19:19 AM  

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