Sheik Hammoud bin Oqla al-Shoeiby, an Islamic cleric who was praised by al-Qaida group and censured by the Saudi government, has died of a heart attack. He was 77. Al-Shoeiby died at the King Fahd hospital in Breida, Saudi Arabia. Although blind, al-Shoeiby rose to become a leading Islamic scholar in Saudi Arabia. His students included the country's mufti, the current minister of justice and a former Islamic affairs minister. He came to wider notice in October when he issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling for holy war against the United States in support of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and their al-Qaida allies.
That's the bad part about being on of those guys who talks to God and interprets His will: every once in awhile, He'll call somebody in for a little clarification. |