In a speech reported by Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, Sheikh Abdulaziz tells young people to be weary of being used by “outside forces.” It is against Islamic law to take part in a holy war without the blessing of religious authorities.

Riyadh (AsiaNews) – Sheikh Abdulaziz al-sheikh, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, warned young men on Monday against travelling abroad to wage holy war because situations there are 'troubled, ambiguous and not clear,” and could be exploited by "outside forces . . . for shameful goals" under the banner of jihad, the official state SPA news agency.

Saudi Arabia's leading Sunni religious authority explained in a speech addressed to young people that as much as they might be enthusiastic about their religion they still lack the necessary level of knowledge to make them capable of differentiating between right and wrong.

“By doing such things, youths commit a number of violations of Islamic rules and teachings, including disobedience to our rulers. They fall to the attraction of deviant elements, using their enthusiasm to achieve political and military gains on behalf of suspicious groups,” he said.

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