Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh
Abd al - Aziz bin Abdullah Al al- Sheikh (Arabic عبد العزيز آل الشيخ ʿ Abd al - ʿ Azeez bin ʿ Abdullah Al ash- Sheikh, DMG ʿ Abd al - ʿ Azeez b ʿ Abdullah Al aš - Sayḩ, . Born February 10, 1943 in Riyadh ) clothed in Saudi Arabia, the Office of the Supreme Mufti ( Mufti ) and the Deputy Minister of Justice. Also the president of the religious police in Saudi Arabia is based in Riyadh.
Education and Career
At age 12, he attained the status of Hafiz, ie he can the whole Quran by heart. Furthermore, he can Sahih hadith by heart from the Al- Kutub as - Sitta, the six hadith books of Sunni Islam. In 1961, he became blind. He finished his studies in 1963 in Mecca. The functions of an Imam and Khateeb a, later also an Alim he perceives since 1970. From 1971 to 1991 he taught at the Faculty of Sharia in Riyadh ( since 1974 Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Imam ). He is since 1986 member of the High Council of Ulama of Saudi Arabia and part since 1991 its Standing Committee on Legal Affairs. He was deputy in 1995 by Abd al Aziz ibn Baz and joined its successor in 1999. He is a descendant of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab and - belongs to the tribe Al ash- Sheikh, represent the traditional religious authorities of the Saudi Kingdom. Since 1993, he answered caller questions on the radio show Noorun ' alad - Darb. The Mufti occurs on television, in which, founded in 2003 religious broadcaster Al Majd TV.
In early 2009, the former president of the religious police, Ibrahim Bin Abdullah Al- Ghait on the orders of King Abdullah, the Deputy Justice Minister Abd al- Aziz Abdullah Al ash- Sheikh am replaced, this is considered to be moderate and more open to reforms. He berfürwortet the Authority's work with " mild " means and without violence.
Positions
In a fatwa in 2000, he banned in Saudi Arabia Barbie dolls, as these constitute a smear campaign against the veil, and forbade Pokémonspielkarten simultaneously because they would encourage to gambling. He also recommended to all Muslims around the world, not to participate in April Fools, because they were a sin, as Muslims should not lie even for fun.
In a fatwa in March 2004, the Grand Mufti called for a total legal ban on the coexistence of men and women outside the family. He referred to a conference, the Saudi economy experts had held in the Economic Club of Jeddah, had in which women and men partially participated in the same room together. In the fatwa he declared: " Unveiled women open the door to evil and bad. (...) It pains me that such a shameless behavior has happened just in Saudi Arabia, the land of the Two Holy Mosques, whose leaders have always followed the Sharia without fear of criticism of the infidels. " Since this incident, it is of local, west oriented media as an opponent of the emancipation of women in Saudi Arabia called the wife work outside the home, he often referred to as " catastrophic ground."
In the Hajj in 2004, the Mufti has called for " merciless their suppression " of the crimes committed in the name of Islam terror. Islam forbids any kind of violence in all its forms, he forbid the hijacking of aircraft, ships and other transportation, further prohibits he all acts that undermine the security of the society.
In a fatwa in April 2005, he explained the forced marriage banned and called for closer monitoring and punishment by the judiciary, as the forced marriage against Islam and the Prophet Muhammed was contrary According to a hadith cancel a forced marriage.
In 2006 he described the Pope Quote of Regensburg lies that showed that a reconciliation between religions is impossible.
In March 2008, he spoke publicly committed to lend more posts in the judiciary to women; in the judiciary everyone could work, let him be qualified enough; discrimination against women not in the interests of society and contrary to the laws of Islam. He also announced its intention to set legal advice centers specifically for women. We need to find a way how women can reach judges, without coming into contact with men.
In a fatwa in March 2012 urged the chief mufti to ban the construction of new churches on the Arabian Peninsula and existing churches to destroy in response to a request of Kuwaiti MPs on the legality of a Kuwaiti law that will prohibit the construction of new churches in Kuwait. He refers here to a hadith, which rejects the parallel existence of several religions in the Arabian Peninsula strictly.
In January 2012 it was announced by King Abdullah as part of the reforms launched a "moderate " pace of the Islamic religious police in Saudi Arabia. Abd al - Aziz bin Abdullah Al al- Sheikh banned in this context the use of volunteers in service. In April 2012, he issued a statement that prohibits religious police to harass citizens. At the same resolute measures against intrusive and violent religion policemen were announced. Was the object of the religious police it only to draw attention to wrongdoing. Women he suggested display intrusive religious police in the regular police. Only these have the power to take legal action against citizens.