Discussion Middle East

Media’s Baseless Lies Against Saudi Mufti

Written by Shoaib

Today we saw some news blogs jump on an untrue story which was first reported in 2012 and debunked almost immediately after initial reports. The mainstream media even decided to join in without even bothering to check facts. The baseless news claimed that the Mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaykh Abdul Aziz Al Ash-shaykh apparently called for the destruction of churches in the gulf region.

Before right wing extremists wet their pants in excitement, they ought to have checked facts. For example they could have checked the Saudi Grand Mufti’s own websites, “Alifta” and “Mufti” for any statements from him. They could have gone to independent news outlets of Saudi Arabia such as Arab News or Saudi Gazette.

None of these websites show any statement of any kind linking the Saudi Mufti to the statement.

So where did this statement come from?

To find the origin of this story I had to scour the internet to find the first article which mentioned the news story and I found a shocking surprise.

It is a right wing extremists Christian Arabic website “Linga” which refers to the source of the story as “several Arabic news sources” of which they provide no links or references. Only there are no reports before this news story and all references refer back to Linga. So the origin of the story is the extremist website itself.

The only real story which links the Saudi Grand Mufti to any discussion on churches is where he was asked in 2012 regarding his opinion by the Kuwaiti Parliament regarding allowing new churches to be built in Kuwait, to which the Saudi Mufti gave a religious verdict discouraging it.

So the basis of the whole story was a right wing extremist Christian website – which had made the whole thing up! So next time the mainstream media need to know what the Pope said, I guess they should ask radical preacher Abu Hamza?

Is this the first time the media has been so irresponsible?

Mr. Gala had lied and was never deported from Saudi for his looks

Mr. Gala had lied and was never deported from Saudi for his looks

This recent barrage of lies is hardly the first time the mainstream media got it wrong on Saudi Arabia. In 2013 the mainstream media reported that a man had been banned from entering Saudi Arabia because he was too good looking. Once again upon investigation this was found to be a total hoax by the model himself. A publicity stunt by the unknown model who all of a sudden was granted millions of social media thanks to the mainstream media’s lack of fact checking. Later a Saudi cleric who was reported to have encouraged the use women as prostitutes in Syria, turned out to be another lie.

After considering all of these facts, one can be left wondering, do we live in a time where the mainstream media can no longer be trusted for news. The question arises; where can people get trusted news if the mainstream media is constantly not checking facts?

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About the author

Shoaib

CEO of Hujjaj.co | Director of the Organisation for the Conservation of Islamic Heritage | President of itiba.tv | Editor Muslim World Journal | Pharmacist | You can find me on Instagram and Facebook

shoaib@muslimworldjournal.com

16 Comments

  • Assalamualaikum brother i need some information from you. I want to know that whether hazrath bibi amina’s khabar was completely destryed by saudi government. is it true or its a false news.

    • I don’t specifically know about destroying specific graves. Usually there is a lot of rumours against Saudi Arabia.

      One thing which Saudi Arabia did do is they levelled graves – this does not mean destroying them. They did this because of the hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad “Level the built up graves”

  • do not you thik that its his hidden urge to be destroyed all the church in the worls or at least in gulf country?

    • No, as the article shows there is no intention to destroy Churches. In Islam, places of worship are respected.

      • But in Pakistan they are burning churches. ISIS is destroing and killing Christians…will you tell me tha they are not Muslims?

        • ISIS have been condemned by all the scholars of all the sects of the whole of the Muslim world. They have no scholar or sect who supports them.

          Regarding Pakistan, I do not believe there is evidence for this.

          • Shall we dialogue that any Muslim country is a living hell for Christians, let there be Pakistan.

          • It wasn’t until the current geo-political climate changed, nothing to do with religion

          • Please check how many temples were destroyed. Don’t make writing fiction and falsehoods your passion.

  • Rest assured that not all Americans fall for this stuff. Muslims are not and never have been cannibal, its just ridicules.

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