Former Mecca Grand Mosque’s Imam: Clerics can make mistakes like politicians
February 12, 2020, 11:47 am

Former Mecca Grand Mosque’s Imam: Clerics can make mistakes like politicians

Saudi cleric Sheikh Adel al-Kalbani, former Imam of the Mecca Grand Mosque, in an interview on Rotana, February 9, 2020. (Screengrab Rotana)

Saudi cleric Sheikh Adel al-Kabbani, former Imam of the Mecca Grand Mosque, said that a cleric can make mistakes just as a politician could when asked about changing or retracting fatwas (edicts), the latest changes and reforms in Saudi Arabia and the beliefs of some of its clerics.

“A cleric can make a mistake just like a politician could. He can be convinced of something and advocates for it, and after a while, he can retract it because his convictions have changed,” al-Kalbani said on Sunday in an interview on Saudi channel Rotana.

“A cleric who finds the (Islamic) Sharia-based evidence which convinces him of an idea, is not at fault,” al-Kalbani added, who was once a part of the Sahwa movement.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced three years ago during a panel discussion held in the first annual Future Investment Conference in October 2017, that the Kingdom will witness many changes and reforms.

He vowed to lead the Kingdom to return to moderate Islam and to reject the “destructive ideas” which infiltrated Saudi Arabia when the Sahwa (Awakening) movement gained momentum in 1979 coinciding with the Iranian revolution.

Women rights

Some of the major social changes seen in Saudi Arabia include the lifting of the ban on women being allowed to drive, no longer needing the permission of their male guardians to travel and encouraging them to enter the workforce.

Al-Kalbani, however, said: “A woman can go out to work making sure to preserve her dignity, but she is not fit for every job.”

He also refused to allow girls and boys to attend the same schools, saying: “Don’t put fuel next to the fire.”

His comments, specifically about refusing to apologize for old fatwas regarding women’s issues, received some backlash, as Saudi women took to social media to express their anger.

A Twitter user named Jawharah replied to a clip of his interview on the social media platform saying: “They wasted our lives with their cursed fatwas and our time are still wasted because of them..”

Another user with the handle @00freee00 replied: “You were part of Sahwa which was the main cause of our suffering. We will not forgive you until judgment day. If you had any decency you would compensate the women who you were the cause of their suffering..”

source: Tuqa Khalid

Death toll in China due to coronavirus epidemic jumps to 1,113 nationwide UAE is prepared with supplies for coronavirus: Minister

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”