[Jfeed] Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti, Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, emphasized that the violence and terror witnessed in Gaza are entirely contrary to the teachings of Islam, stating, "What we saw today in Gaza is a disgrace to Islam, an act of blasphemy against Allah, and a sin that does not represent the followers of the Prophet, peace be upon him, or the honorable religion of Islam."[I think he was referring to the dancing and singing around the caskets of the murdered hostages - not to the fact that they were murdered, but I'm not sure]
| One hopes he was not actually condemning Hamas posting videos of their actions on the internet that brought Islam into ill repute, rather than either the murders of a mother and her small children and an old Israeli Jew who spent his days driving the sick of Gaza to and from Israeli hospitals or the singing and dancing with glee around the caskets of the murdered marked Arrested on 10/7/2023. The Grand Mufti spoke before Israeli forensic scientists discovered that the corpse in mother Shira Biba’s designated casket was not her, but rather a Gazan of unknown provenance. Someone in Hamas got a little too clever, because Israel announced repeatedly that they had a team prepping to do forensic identification and examination of the bodies. It will be interesting to discover why this happened. The Saudi Grand Mufti is not the only Big Turban to be appalled: |
[X]
The Grand Mufti of Dubai, Ahmed al-Haddad, reportedly stated after watching the scenes of dead Israeli babies being paraded in coffins in Gaza:
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) February 20, 2025
‘Hamas has brought shame to Islam on a level never seen before.’
🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/orR58GuM7d
| More condemnations from the Times of Israel: |
“The parading of bodies in the manner seen this morning is abhorrent and cruel, and flies in the face of international law,” said the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We urge that all returns are conducted in privacy, and with respect and care.”
In the statement, UN rights chief Volker Turk added that “under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”
Hamas said that it returned on Thursday the bodies of hostages Shiri Bibas and her two young redheaded boys, Kfir and Ariel, as well as that of Oded Lifshitz, who was kidnapped at age 83.
| Three are true. One was an additional cruelty of a deliberate lie. |
In a statement about its role in the handover on Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said the operation should have been done “privately” but stopped short of blaming Hamas.
The ICRC, which has itself faced criticism for its position of neutrality, said that it took part in the return of “the remains of those who should have been reunited with their loved ones in life, not in death.”
The Red Cross said its role was “to fulfill a vital humanitarian duty to allow families to mourn with dignity.” The statement added that “these operations should be done privately out of the utmost respect for the deceased and for those left grieving. We have been unequivocal: every release — whether of the living or the deceased — must be conducted with dignity and privacy.”
The day before the handover, the ICRC issued a statement saying that “any degrading treatment during release operations is unacceptable.”
| But they sat there and accepted it anyway. So actually it’s quite acceptable to the International Committee of the Red Cross. |
“Four coffins, presented on stage — images that are unbearable,” she wrote in a message on X. “Until the very end, the families of the hostages are exposed to Hamas’s limitless terror. My thoughts are with them. Hopefully they are soon able to mourn their loved ones and bury them with dignity.”