Saudi king calls on businessmen to employ Saudis

Prince Khalid Al-Faisal opens International Conference on Fatwa and its Controls

MWL secretary general hails efforts exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to serve Islamic, Arab issues

Minister of Higher Education signs MoU with Saudi universities

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz urged Saudi young men to train themselves and to develop their skills.

The King also called on Saudi businessmen to give priority to employ Saudis and to train them.

In his word, delivered on his behalf Labor Minister Ghazi al-Qusaibi, in the inauguration of the 5th Saudi technical conference, the king said that “our young men are the future and they have to develop their skills and capabilities.”

King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, received at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the credentials of a number of ambassadors of Muslim and friendly countries to the Kingdom.

The King received the credentials of the ambassadors of Comoro Islands, Mali, Brazil, Sudan, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, the Cameroon, Egypt, Holland, Germany, Lebanon, Malaysia, Tajikistan, South Korea, the European Union, Lithuania, Angola, Gabon, Greece, Madagascar, Uzbekistan, Austria and the Czech Republic.

The Monarch welcomed the new ambassadors and wished them a good stay in the Kingdom.

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Region, opened International Conference on Fatwa and its Controls held by the Islamic Jurisprudence Complex of the Muslim World League (MWL).

Upon his arrival at the venue, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal was received by MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki and Secretary General of the Islamic Jurisprudence Complex Dr. Saleh bin Zaben Al-Marzouki Al-Baqmi.

Al-Baqmi delivered a speech in which he praised the King's patronage of the conference. He also said that the complex organized 19 sessions and issued 120 decisions and statements translated into several languages.

Then, the speech of the participating delegations were delivered by President of Darul-Uloom University, Karachi, Mufti Mohammed Rafi Al-Othmani. In the speech, Al-Othmani thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for patronizing the conference and supporting Muslims in all fields. He stressed the importance of the conference which discusses many aspects of Fatwa and its controls.

Then, MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki delivered a speech in which he hailed the efforts exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to serve the Islamic and Arab issues.

He also reviewed the Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza, saying that MWL condemned the massacre by Israel in Gaza and urged Arab and Muslim leaders to make every possible effort to stop this aggression and lift the unjust embargo in addition to opening the crossing points and moving rapidly to deliver humanitarian assistance.

The Grand Mufti of the kingdom and Chairman of the MWL's Jurisprudence Complex Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh delivered a speech in which he welcomed the Governor of Makkah Region, and the audience:

"This conference takes place in these days of pain during which the Israelis are carrying out their brutal campaign against our brothers in Palestine", the Mufti said.

He went on stressing, "That cooperation with our people in Palestine is a crucial thing". "Despite all the assistance provided by the kingdom, there is much more needed from the wider population of Muslims", the Grand Mufti added.

"Scholars have taken a solemn oath before God to explain His Law and Teachings and not to say a lie against Him. Scholars are consulted whenever there is a religious issue that needs to be addressed. Issuing fatwa isn't an easy task. It's a great responsibility. Therefore, a mufti must have all the necessary elements".

Sheikh Abdulaziz also warned against fatwa TV programs that don't comply by the religious criteria required in the issuance of fatwas.

He also emphasized the need for knowledgeable scholars and criticized unauthorized muftis. "Fatwa is not for trade", the Grand Mufti explained.

Sheik Abdulaziz also called for the unification of fatwas and warned against hasty fatwas.

Then, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Makkah region, delivered a speech in which he started with welcoming the auspicious gathering of the Ulema and jurists of the Muslim Ummah in this International Conference of Fatwa (religious ruling) and its Controls.

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal addressed the attendance saying: "You are meeting today on a serious issue to ward off your nation a great threatening danger at a time this nation is encountering external campaigns to tarnish its image, to fabricate accusations against it, and having calamities at some of its territories. What is going on now in Gaza is a painful scene that requires bridging gaps, renouncing differences, closing folds and agreeing on one voice that we direct to the world. The Islamic arena is found to have an internal hazardous negative phenomenon that undermines the efforts to address these objectives. This phenomenon is that fatwa is spread from each mouth through satellite channels, Internet and other modern communications media and pulpits. These means are wide-spread, and promote this phenomenon and open the door wide to fatwa without rules. The situation opens an opportunity to the prejudiced, ignorant and extremist to set out to fiqh (jurisprudence) fields and poise for fatwa furthering offense against Islam, blemishing its intentions, and providing Islam's enemies with more pretexts to hurl more accusations against Islam, have audacity to Quran, and fabricate against the Prophet of Islam (May Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him)".

"Ignorance in religion and being prejudiced in fatwa are the most dangerous challenges before the Muslim community, particularly the youth, where flaw infiltrates their conceptions due to eccentric views of equally the prejudiced and the immoderate in religion, which entails extreme mistakes in creed and great dangers in conduct, disbanding the unity of Muslims, holding them non-Muslims, and declaring killing them lawful" he added.

He gave a proof on Allah's warning of this sedition in His saying " As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them of all that they did". Our Prophet also warned saying: "Your predecessors were damned eternally by differing on the Book". The Prophet described those people who stray at end of time as holding ignorant religious chiefs, when asked they give fatwa without knowledge leading themselves and others astray.

The Prince said that since its creation, Saudi Arabia is based on moderation in Islamic Sharia.

Muslim scholars from around the world were urged to follow the true path of moderation in Islam and confront challenges to their faith posed by false Fatwas broadcast on satellite channels and published on websites during the World Conference on Fatwa and its General Rules held in Makkah.

People who are not aware of Islamic jurisprudence and its principles and rulings have placed themselves in front of TV cameras issuing Fatwas (religious edicts), providing the enemies of Islam with a golden chance to attack Islam and mock at it, Prince Khaled Bin Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, said in his speech.

Prince Khaled was speaking at the inauguration of the five-day conference organized by the Muslim World League (MWL).

“You are meeting today on a serious issue to ward off a great danger at a time when the Muslim Ummah is encountering campaigns to tarnish the image of Islam,” Prince Khaled told the scholars.

The time has come for a unified Islamic stand to advance the basic cause of moderation in Islam and fight back those who have wanted to hijack the essence of moderate Islam and turn it into an ideological concept of extremism, he said. Today’s Islamic communities need to be protected from the chaos of irresponsible extremist Fatwas that could affect the right creed and straight path of new Muslim generations, he said.

The Makkah Emir has called on true Muslim scholars to counter irresponsible Fatwas by the “intruders” on Islamic jurisprudence, providing them with all help needed from the Kingdom.

Commenting on the situation in Gaza, Prince Khaled said what is happening there is agonizing for the entire Muslim Ummah. Israel, he said, is violating all norms of a civilized society and indulging in genocide of the Palestinians. “It is genocide of humanity,” he said.

Abdullah Bin Al-Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the MWL, said the unprecedented Zionist aggression against the Palestinians is in stark violation of the UN resolutions.

He said there is an organized campaign to divide the Muslim Ummah and the ignorant people are giving Fatwas against the tenets of Islam to misguide, mostly, the young generation who have no concrete understanding of Islam.

“Some people declare Fatwas on issues that they do not know in depth and without due consideration for the Shariah requirements for issuing an authentic Fatwa,” Al-Turki said.

“Issuing a Fatwa is a very serious matter as it involves making a decision on the basis of the law laid down by Allah and explained by the Prophet,” Turki said.

Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, urged the people not to give any heed to Fatwas which are being televised by different channels by unknown and untrustworthy people.

Saleh Bin Zaben Al-Marzouki, head of the Muslim World League’s Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) Academy, said that unqualified ‘clerics’ have harmed the Islamic law with their ungrounded Fatwas.

The International Conference on Fatwa and its Controls organized by the Islamic Jurisprudence Complex of the Muslim World League (MWL) held its third and fourth sessions.

The attendance discussed the importance of fatwa and conditions of its change. The sessions were attended by the Grand Mufti and Head of the MWL Founding Council Sheikh Abdulaziz bun Abdullah Al-Elsheikh; MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki; and Secretary General of the Islamic Jurisprudence Complex Dr. Saleh bin Zaben Al-Marzouki Al-Baqmi.

The third session was chaired by Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hmaid Chairman of the Saudi Shoura "Consultative" Council where the papers were presented by some prominent Muslim Ulema and scholars.

In the session, the researchers highlighted the importance of fatwa saying that it becomes individual duty on the asked if he is the only one available to answer. They added that fatwa becomes collective duty if there are two or more Muftis in the country while Ifta becomes not permissible if the Mufti is ignorant or he knows that the asker is seeking a pretext to falsehood.

The participants stated that the mufti should neither become lenient in permission without evidence nor lean heavily on people with the strictest fatwa which they cannot endure. They added that moderation is the right path and intention of Sharia without extravagance or negligence.

The researchers discussed the problem of fatwas with regard to what should be avoided including some Muftis irrationally terming Muslims as non-Muslims with an offense or guilt they commit or with an uncertainty by the doer. This should be cautioned against because it leads to bloodshed.

The participants indicated that fatwa leads people to the right path. Fatwa does not go with popular prejudices, as it is a notification from the Creator of the Universe. Fatwa is issued to deal with a real incident. When realities change, fatwa changes accordingly based on Sharia evidence and customs.

They pointed out that mufti may preferably consult Ulema in his fatwa, particularly if it is uncertain or related to the public. This consultation is achieved through jurisprudence complexes and Ifta panels.

The participants discussed change of fatwa in the fourth session which was chaired by Dr. Abdulsalam Al-Abadi, Secretary General of the International Islamic Jurisprudence Complex, OIC. In their presentations, the researchers focused on the responsibility of Ummah Ulema to tackle new and modern issues. This entails the necessity of Ijtihad to manage such issues. It should be noted that worship; the permissible and the prohibited with clear-cut stipulation; and the agreed-upon rulings do not accept change or alteration.

The speakers indicated that some rulings based on jurists' Ijtihad and inference, and issues with various referential texts may accept change and alteration.

The researchers maintained that muftis should be versed in differentiation between the rulings which accept and which don't accept change and alteration, otherwise fatwa would be wrong and not sound.

The topics of the third and fourth sessions were enriched with the various remarks of the speakers who replied to the questions of the attendance.

The International Conference on Fatwa and its Controls was concluded. The conference was held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud by the Islamic Jurisprudence Complex of the Muslim World League (MWL).

The conclusion was attended by the Grand Mufti of the kingdom Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh and MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki.

The final communiqué of the conference was read by Secretary General of the Islamic Jurisprudence Complex Dr. Saleh bin Zaben Al-Marzouki Al-Baqmi.

Dr. Al-Baqmi said that the conferees approved issuing a fatwa covenant and adhering to it.

The final communiqué explained that the fatwa covenant consists of three chapters and 41 articles.

The final communiqué highlighted the importance of fatwa in Islam and its controls and set the mufti's conditions and duties.

The final communiqué stressed moderation in fatwa and detailed the problems facing fatwa and its negative effects.

The final communiqué stated that collective fatwa is closer to right and acceptance by Muslims.

The conferees made general recommendations for supporting fatwa and its institutions in the Islamic ummah.

The final communiqué asked the media to prevent incompetent muftis from practicing fatwa through the media.

The scholars who participated in the conference issued Makkah Declaration on the Israeli war crimes in Gaza saying self defense by the people of Gaza is legitimate and called for supporting those oppressed in Gaza.

The scholars appreciated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's support for the Palestinian cause and the people of Gaza; his allocation of USD1 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza; his care for the injured and his keenness during Kuwait's Arab Economic Summit "In Solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza" to unify ranks.

Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) has lauded the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as regards the bloody events in Gaza.

MWL's secretary general Dr Abdullah al-Turki said it is the duty of the Muslims in the world to support the Arab and Muslim efforts which aim at the reconstruction of Gaza as well as the efforts of the Arab League which aim at holding Israeli responsible of the crimes it perpetrated against the innocent unarmed civilians.

Dr al-Turki welcomed the idea of formation of an Arab-international legal committee to shoulder this responsibility and said the MWL is ready to cooperate with the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in this respect.

Dr al-Turki pointed out that the MWL and its centers and institutions notably the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) have been following up the humanitarian relief activities for extending urgent assistance to the citizens of Gaza.

Dr. Khalid Al-Anqari, Minister of Higher Education, signed a contract for implementation of the second phase of the staff housing project at King Saud University.

The contract is worth over SR1.6 billion. Dr. Al-Anqari said the contract comes in line with previous contracts signed by the ministry.

The incentives approved by the Cabinet in Ramadan 1429H included allocation of SR5 billion for the housing projects for members of the academic staff at universities across the Kingdom.

The Ministry of Higher Education is keen on realizing the aspirations of the leadership as regards ensuring psychological stability for the members of the universities’ academic staff and making a suitable academic and social environment available to them.

Dr. Al-Anqari said all Saudi universities have carried out the order of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, pertaining to payment by the state of all costs for the parallel education programs.

About doubts cast on the certificates obtained by some Saudis from abroad, Dr. Al-Anqari said the rare instances in which certificates proved to be false did not involve scholarships supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education.

The Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Anqari signed memorandums of understanding with five Saudi universities on supporting the applications of e-learning and distance education.

The minister pointed out that the signing of these memorandums aimed at coordinating efforts in the area of e-learning so that the National Center for E-Learning and Distance Education will be as a converging-point for exchanging mutual benefits and cooperation in the field of expertise.

The universities included Princess Norah bint Abdulrahman University; King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals; Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University ; Jazan University; and Najran University.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Ghazi al-Qusaibi said that in the training field we can’t depend on old equipments, asserting that the 5th technical conference is the best mean to exchange experiences and get the best models and develop it.

“The participation of a number of major companies is the only way to succeed in work and to provide a challenging and a successful working atmosphere,” the Saudi minister said in statements.

Al-Qusaibi also urged business owners to comply with regulations concerning employing a certain percentage of Saudi nationals.

He pointed out the advantages of recruiting Saudis, such as the current incentive of the Human Resources Development Fund paying half of the wages of newly-hired Saudis for a period of two years.