Exploiting Islam for political gains gravest crime: Al-Sheikh

KABUL (Pajhwok): Saudi Arabia Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Dr. Abdull Atif Al-Sheikh said that the gravest crime committed against Islam is its exploitation to gain political ends, according to a media report on Monday.

“In our life, we face a sad and unfortunate reality in the form of exploitation of religion for political purposes and that only represents those who advocate it and it is nothing to do with the religion,” he said while speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Denouncing the recent terror act in Paris, Al-Sheikh said that such horrific criminal act cannot be linked to Islam. Rather, it is the criminal act perpetrated by a sick soul in whom there is an element of evil, and Islam and Muslims are innocent from this act as the religion of Islam is keen on preserving human rights and human lives everywhere, he said.

“We mourn the killing of any person in the world, especially if he was killed by a terrorist criminal who has nothing to do with the religion to which he belongs to. Such a criminal represents only himself, and he should not link his crime to the rest of the people or their religion,” he said while noting that such a tendency is unreasonable and is an evidence of defective thinking.

Al-Sheikh said that any heinous crime involves danger, whether it takes place against Muslims or others, but linking the crime of a criminal to millions of innocent people is a great mistake, of which the consequences are grave.

“The correct Islamic approach in such occasions is based on justice as no innocent one can be wronged because of the crime of an aggressor. It is essential that everyone should know that there are bad concepts and goals intended to offend Islam and therefore, it is required on the part of everyone in the Islamic world not to leave an opportunity to offend their own righteous religion through the behavior of one of its members.”

The minister stressed the need for scholars, preachers, and imams to play their role in these situations and work to advocate people to uphold moderate and rationale thinking.

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