Mount Carmel,Muslims have long thought Christian Trinitarianism to be polytheistic, and the point at which Muhammad is said to have claimed that the ‘People of the Book’ had been led astray. They do not/cannot understand the Christian take on the Trinity, so as such I am not surprised if there are fatwas out calling, like Muhammad himself is supposed to have called during his ‘Meccan period’, for persecution and oppression of Christians - which presumably would also include the destruction of sites/buildings of worship.
I don’t think you fully appreciate the relationship dynamics between various Muslim groups. The Grand Mufti is not the leading authority for all Sunnis the world over, but only those of the Salafi sect, which is heavily intertwined with the al Saud ruling family of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, ISIS is an even more puritanical Wahhabi group than the Saudis! ISIS, like many Wahhabi groups, views the entire Saudi government including its Ministry of Religion as apostate. The Grand Mufti would most likely be all but ignored by ISIS.Mount Carmel,
Yours is a well thought out answer, but to an entirely different question. In it you try to explain and not justify (I hope) the latest pronouncement of the mufti. We all know the history and theory. However, in 2015, when the Islamic state warriors are already conducting operations of exterminating Christian minorities (including beheading) does the latest pronouncement of the mufti not add fuel to the fire?
Seeing as this “latest pronouncement” happened 3 years ago, and most Muslims among the “peaceful majority” are not Salafi they likely would disapprove of it.My original question is addressed to the “peaceful muslim” majority. I want to know how they are responding to this latest pronouncement.
This is what occurred in Bosnia by that “peaceful” religion.The Grand mufti of Saudi Arabia calls for destruction of all churches in the gulf region. This is an official pronouncement of the leading Sunni authority.
Have any of you with muslim friends discussed this question with them? What do the peaceful muslims have to say to this?
You are quite correct. I am very far from understanding the dynamics of the various Muslim groups. I don’t even know how many groups there are, and maybe you could shed some light on that.I don’t think you fully appreciate the relationship dynamics between various Muslim groups. The Grand Mufti is not the leading authority for all Sunnis the world over, but only those of the Salafi sect, which is heavily intertwined with the al Saud ruling family of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, ISIS is an even more puritanical Wahhabi group than the Saudis! ISIS, like many Wahhabi groups, views the entire Saudi government including its Ministry of Religion as apostate. The Grand Mufti would most likely be all but ignored by ISIS.
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I was referring to the announcement dated March 24, 2015Seeing as this “latest pronouncement” happened 3 years ago, and most Muslims among the “peaceful majority” are not Salafi they likely would disapprove of it.