Ex-Imam of Grand Mecca Mosque: ISIS is as Islamic as Us
January 29, 2016
Daniel Greenfield
Sheikh Adel Al Kilbani was the former Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, a significant position considering its importance in Sunni Muslim life.
The video doesn't come from Memri, but from Integrity UK, seemingly a Shiite channel that broadcasts pro-Syrian government propaganda. But in this case it's reasonably credible that this is correct (there have been past Shiite video propaganda scams that people on our side have fallen before) because there are previous Memri translations that accord with his current views.
Here Al Kilbani reasserts that ISIS is very much a Salafist movement, that it uses what he considers legitimate Islamic ideas to carry out its crimes, but suffers from a lack of "refinement".
"The ideological origin is Salafism," the cleric says.
"They draw their ideas from what is written in our own books, from our own principles," he says. "Who criticizes them the most does not criticize their thought, but their actions. We do not criticize the thought on which it is based, such as the concept of apostasy.
"They exploited our own principles that can be found in our books, among us. We follow the same thought, but apply it in a refined way."
This is obviously common sense, but also one of those things that is not supposed to be said. This is in Dubai, so his slam of the Muslim Brotherhood makes sense as well.
In the past, Al Kilbani has written that, “ISIS is a true product of Salafism, and we must deal with it with full transparency.” He's using the argument to attack other Islamic clerics. After all this is Islam and the internal ideological warfare never ends.
But there's not that much distinction between Kilabani and ISIS either.
The Prophet's guidance, by which we act, dictates: "Drive the Jews and the Christians out of the Arabian Peninsula." Driving them out is undoubtedly the prerogative of the ruler, but they should be allowed to live here only if their presence is essential.
Interviewer: But what you are saying runs counter to the interfaith dialogue, doesn't it? On what basis does Saudi Arabia engage in interfaith dialogue with them? Is it just dialogue for the sake of dialogue? Isn't it in order for everybody to get what they are entitled to?
Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: Yes, but within the limits of the shari'a. We are talking from the perspective of the shari'a, not from a personal perspective.
[...]
Interviewer: But don't you agree that there should be a common denominator? The limits of the shari'a is the position of the Muslims, but not of the Christians who live in Saudi Arabia, right?
Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: [The Christian] came as a visitor. He is not a citizen. If he were a citizen... watchamacallit... a Christian citizen – maybe there would be room for debate. Maybe. But in principle, he is a visitor, a guest, who stays for some time, and then leaves. He knew these were the rules before he came here. No visitor to a country can demand that it change its rules.
Interviewer: Not to change the rules, but if you, as a Muslim, were to visit a country, wouldn't you hope there would be a mosque in which to pray, regardless of whether you are a citizen or not?
Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: I would hope so. Undoubtedly. But Allah be praised, according to the Prophet's guidance: "The whole Earth was made a mosque and pure for me." Therefore, a Muslim can pray anywhere.
There's your Islamic Sharia perspective and why there cannot be any meaningful co-existence with Muslims. Because Islam is based on Supremacism that demands special privileges for Muslims while denying the rights of non-Muslims.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/261651/ex-imam-grand-mecca-mosque-isis-islamic-us-daniel-greenfield
