Mohamad al-Arefe
| Mohamad al-Arefe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | (Arabic: محمد العريفي) |
| Born |
July 15, 1970 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality |
 Saudi Arabia |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Website | |
|
arefe | |
Mohamad bin AbdelRahman al-Arefe (Arabic: محمد العريفي) (born 15 July 1970), is an Islamic theologian from Saudi Arabia. He is a professor at King Saud University,[1] and Imam of the Mosque of the King Fahd academy of the Saudi Navy. He was a student of Ibn Baz.
Social Media Popularity
As of June 3, 2014, Al-Arefe had over 8.8 million followers on Twitter, which places his account in the top 100 worldwide, and #1 for the Middle East.[2]
Al-Arefe and the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état
In July 2013, Al-Arefe was arrested by the Saudi authorities for what is believed to be an interrogation on the basis of his political, moral, and religious positions regarding the coup d'état in Egypt. It was speculated that the arrest was in response to a complaint filed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to its Saudi counterpart. The complaint claimed that Al-Arefe was intervening in Egyptian domestic affairs. Before his release, he signed a pledge not to interfere in Egyptian affairs and was released afterwards but placed under house arrest. He was also banned from traveling to Doha, where he was scheduled to deliver a religious lecture there. The Saudi authorities never announced the reason behind Al-Arefe's arrest.
Views
In June 2013, an article in the British newspaper The Independent said "He has in the past accused Shias of being responsible for kidnapping, cooking and skinning children before placing their remains outside the family home for their parents to find, and recently called for Muslim women to travel to Syria to offer their bodies to fighters seeking to overthrow Bashar al Assad's regime."[1]
His official web site said he rejects "right-wing media allegations that he may have contributed to the radicalization of three British born Muslims seen in a recently released video by ISIS." It quotes him as saying "I have a positive working relationship with many government institutions around the world including Saudi Arabia where I am a member of an academic body specializing in discrediting terrorist ideology. My position vis-à-vis ISIS is very clear as I am vehemently opposed to the brutal methods employed by many of their fighters and categorically condemn their extremism. I have personally published a number of academic works highlighting the numerous fallacies in their pernicious and divisive ideology."[3]
Controversies
Al-Arefe was banned from entering Switzerland for holding extreme views.[1]
A June 2013 article in The Independent said that the Al Khoei Foundation, "a leading mainstream Muslim group" of Shiites in the UK, expressed concern about "divisive and sectarian personalities" after his arrival there, noting the prior ban from entering Switzerland and saying he has frequently preached against "evil Shiites".[1] In March 2014, he was banned by the Home Office from returning to Britain after a series of sermons in Cardiff, Birmingham and London. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm Mohammad Al-Arefe has been excluded from the United Kingdom. The Government makes no apologies for refusing people access to the UK if we believe they represent a threat to our society. Coming here is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who seek to subvert our shared values."[4][5]
Works
- (Arabic) al-Mufid fi Taqrib Ahkaam al-adhan: 124 fatwa tahummu mu'adhdhin wa-al-Sami `al-adhan Dar al-Hijrah, al-Riyadh, 1995 (the prayer and the fatwas)
- (Arabic) al-Durar Bahiyah fi al-al-al-alghaz fiqhiyah: akthar min 300 min lughz Fiqhi muntakhabah kutub al-fiqh, mudhayyalah bi-wa-lata'if Fawa `id Maktabat al -lil-Ma `arif wa al-Nashr Tawzi` al-Riyadh, 2000 (the Islamic law and the Hanbalis)
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Milmo, Cahal (24 June 2013). "Sunni vs Shia... in Gerrard's Cross: New mosque highlights growing tensions among British Muslims". The Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ Top Twitter User Rankings retrieved 3 June 2014
- ↑ "Dr. Mohammad al-Arefe Responds to Allegations of Radicalization". Official website of Dr. Mohammad al-Arefe. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ↑ "Banned preacher under scrutiny over links to young Cardiff men fighting with Isis in Iraq and Syria". ITV. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Morris, Steven (23 June 2014). "Father of Cardiff jihadists says his sons were radicalised in 'pop-up' schools". Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2014.