Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has denied issuing a fatwa that states it is permissible for a starving man to save himself by eating the flesh of a woman.In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday, Al-Asheikh said the religious edict was false and created by Islam's enemies to slander him and "keep the community busy squabbling over irrelevant issues instead of standing united behind the rightly guided rulers."
"The fatwa attributed to us is wrong. It is nothing but lies ... It has been circulated to distort the image of Islam, which has elevated and granted a dignified status to men and women without exceptions ..."
He quoted a verse from the Holy Qur'an to support his argument: "Oh you who believe, if an unrighteous man brings you news, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people out of ignorance, and then regret it."
The sheikh said Moslems must stay united against their common enemy and ignore attempts aimed at undermining their commitment to protect themselves and their countries.