I wonder if media outlets like the BBC even understand half the contents about Islam that they put on their website. Take this article, for example, in which a Saudi journalist had had the gall to challenge the writings of Ibn Taymiyya. The teachings of the thirteenth century scholar, of course, underpins the whole religious establishment of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
For his trouble, Jamal Kashoggi was sacked from the Saudi paper, al-Watan and has since based himself in Washington as media advisor to the Saudi ambassador to the US. Oddly enough, in a recent interview, he said,
“I feel good about the price that was paid because it opened up the door for more openness in the Saudi media…
It’s now very common for Saudi intellectuals to argue even with the Grand Mufti, and this is very healthy. We will always maintain our respect for our scholars and clergy and muftis – but at the same time one of the good things about our Wahhabi background is we see no-one as holy except God himself.”
Now, is he implying that Muslims with a non-Wahhabi background actually perform the reverse? That such Muslims in fact allow their respect for scholars and clergy and muftis to spill over into the messy business of placing these same people beside God in holiness?
A little help, please?
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I wanted to say something but I came across this article a while ago that says it better.
http://shaykhibrahiminstitute.org/Site/Article%20Ridhwan%20Saleem.html
Sometimes they take their reverence to the extent as if they are saying, “Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His prophet and IT (Ibn Tayimmaiyah) is his scholar.”