Saudi Scholar's Offer to Appear on Israeli TV Stirs Controversy

(Arab News-Saudi Arabia) Walaa Hawari - Saudi scholar Mohasen al-Awaji has caused controversy by saying he is prepared to appear on Israeli television. Interviewed on Al Arabiya last week, al-Awaji said he would be willing to appear purely to help counter Israeli propaganda. "Appearing on their television channels will be effective and allow us to reach a wider audience. At the same time it will show the Zionists that we are willing to talk to them on their own ground," he said. "What al-Awaji has proposed is a great mistake," said Dr. Mohammad al-Nujaimi, a professor at the High Institute for Judicial Studies at Imam Muhammad bin Saud University in Riyadh. He said al-Awaji's call goes against all the fatwas that normalization with Israel in all its forms - politically, economically, socially and in terms of media - "is not permissible at all." Al-Nujaimi said nothing will work with Israel except jihad, including boycotting all of its media networks and cultural activities. Al-Awaji told Arab News that he is impressed and delighted at the negative response. He said it drove home the fact "that this foreign body among us is not accepted."


2010-02-12 07:33:49

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