January 12, 2010
A senior Saudi cleric declared that joining al Qaeda is forbidden by Islam, Middle East Online reported Jan. 12. Speaking to the Okaz newspaper, Sheikh Abdul Mohsen al-Obeikan, a leading religious scholar and adviser in King Abdullah's court, reiterated the official Saudi stance that al Qaeda's philosophy is one of "takfirism," or accusing others of apostasy. "Takfir thinking" is forbidden in Islam, he said.