Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid is a well-known Saudi cleric who has a large following in Canada and the West. Many young Muslim men and women, born in the West, get their direction about Islam and life in the West, not from their parents, but from so-called scholars like Al-Munajjid, who operate on the Internet."Sheikh" Al-Munajjid operates an Internet Islamic portal called "Islam Q&A" out of Saudi Arabia. It caters to Muslim youth not just in English, but Mandarin, Cantonese, Turkish, Urdu, French, Spanish, Russian, Uyghur and of course Arabic.
For some time now I have been following the questions posed by Muslim youth and the fatwas issued by the "sheikhs" based in Saudi Arabia. It is fascinating to see how medieval-minded scholars serving a dictatorial theocracy named after an 18th century brigand are shaping the mindset of a segment of Canadian youth. And while this brainwashing takes place, the rest of us prize our slumber more than our liberties and values as a liberal secular democracy.
On November 3, 2009, a question asked by an anonymous writer caught my attention. Someone asked the Saudi sheikh: "Can a Muslim be a sincere friend to a kaafir? Is it permissible for a Muslim to be a sincere friend to a person who is not Muslim?"
Tarek Fatah: Cleric urges Muslims to steer clear of non-Muslims
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