[Al Arabiya Latest] Muslim states can possess weapons of mass destruction but may not use them against non-Muslim nations, according to Egypt's highest religious authority, who issued the opinion online Sunday in hopes of clarifying assertions about their legitimacy."It is not permissible for Muslim countries to use weapons of mass destruction...but they can possess them only as a deterrent against possible attacks," Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa wrote in his religious ruling, or fatwa, which came just days before U.S. President Barack Obama is due to address the Muslim world from Cairo.
Gomaa issued the fatwa in response to "reports and opinions from various groups claiming that the use of weapons is legitimate based on some sharia rulings on gathering ammunition," he wrote on the website of Dar al-Iftaa, the state-sanctioned body charged with providing religious rulings.
His ruling did not prohibit the acquisition or possession of such weapons as a deterrent, but said their use was prohibited because it could threaten states beyond the borders of the targeted country and kill non-combatants and Muslims-- something that would not be allowed even in a declared war.
"This fatwa is the first one we issued on this topic and comes in response to the wave of uninformed opinions from various groups," according to spokesman Dr. Ibrahim Negm.