A tweet by prominent Sheikh Mishary al-Afasy justifying establishing relations with Jews by using the fatwas of the Islamic Salafi scholar Muhammad Ibn Uthaymeen, which are based on the permissibility of making peace, has prompted anger among social media users in the Middle East.
Afasy was accused of paving the way for “normalization” with Israel:
الشيخ ابن عثيمين : أنواع الصلح مع الكفار ، والرد على المشنعين على تجويز الصلح مع اليهود
— مشاري راشد العفاسي (@Alafasy) May 20, 2018
https://t.co/RZTtEN9X4z
The tweet itself was not the main reason behind people’s anger, but the fact Afasy has always been a supporter of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his controversial views. The Crown Prince has already remarked that there should be peace with Israel.
It did not stop here, Afasi responded by using another fatwa on the same topic for Abdul Aziz Ibn Baz, a scholar who is known as a leading proponent of the Wahhabi form.
فتوى الشيخ ابن باز رحمه الله في جواز الصلح مع اليهود كاملة https://t.co/GZMFii2ACU
— مشاري راشد العفاسي (@Alafasy) May 20, 2018
Social media buffs jumped on Afasy’s tweets, accusing him of being an agent for Israel and others tweeting images of Palestinian children killed by those who he claim Muslims should have peace with.
قتلت اطفالنا منتهكي الاقصى هم من تروج لصلح معهم اسالك بالله وين بتوصل pic.twitter.com/tRgtl2Oyr7
— الى أين ياوطن النهار (@miss_nouraq8) May 21, 2018
One of the users took the chance to remind the sheikh of the importance of having peace with neighbouring countries, referencing the Gulf crisis that started in June 2017, in which Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain cut all diplomatic relations with Qatar for it alleged support of terrorism.
تأخذ من الدين ما يناسب اهواء اسيادك التسامح مع المسلمين اولى
— خليجنا واحد (@ahmad8210) May 22, 2018
Afasi responded by saying: “When will we realize that liberating the holy places won’t come by denunciation, but by us returning back to our religion that says: “If you support Allah, He will support you.” {Verse 47:7}? If you support Allah, not your nationalism or ideologies,” referring back to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in which Prophet Mohammed had a pivotal treaty with Quraysh, the tribe of Mecca.
المقدسات مكة والمدينة والأقصى خط أحمر عند كل مسلم !
— مشاري راشد العفاسي (@Alafasy) May 20, 2018
لكن متى ندرك أن تحرير المقدسات لا يأتي بسنوات من الشجب والتنديد بل برجوعنا إلى ديننا "إن تنصروا الله ينصركم" تنصروا الله وليس عروبتكم وقومياتكم وتحزباتكم وآيديلوجياتكم!
إن صلح الحديبية هو هدي النبي ﷺ في تحرير الكعبة أو فتح مكة pic.twitter.com/1V5xDOTdtz
This is not the first time Afasi causes controversy over Israel and Jews. One user used screenshots for old tweets written by Afasi citing, again, Ibn Baz, but this time against Jews showing contradiction in his thinking, depending on the agenda of the Saudi government at that time.
يا يا حنيِّن !! مو كانوا اشد الناس عداوة ، ومفسدين في الارض ونزل عليهم عقاب الله واحترقوا ؟؟ يا مقلب القلوب
