Mohamad al-Arefe
| Mohamad al-Arefe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | (Arabic: محمد العريفي) |
| Born |
15 July 1970 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabia |
| Religion | Islam (Salafi) |
| Website |
arefe |
Mohamad bin AbdelRahman al-ʿArefe (Arabic: محمد العريفي) (born 15 July 1970) is a Saudi author and scholar. He is a graduate of King Saud University, and Member of the Muslim World League and the Muslim Scholars Association.[1][2]
Social media popularity
As of 9 December 2015, Al-Arefe had over 16 million likes on Facebook and 13.4 million followers on Twitter, which places his account in the top 100 worldwide, and #1 in the Arab world and in the Middle East .[3] Many of his followers are ones who support ISIS terrorists and belong to the extreme Khawarij sect.
Views
His official web site said he rejects "right-wing media allegations that he may have contributed to the radicalization of three British born Muslims seen in a recently released video by ISIS." However, the ideology he spreads is very similar if not an exact replica of the strict and haram idology of ISIS.
In an interview on Lebanese TV in 2007,[4] al-Arefe explained the three ways a man should discipline his wife:
- He should first admonish her.
- If admonishing doesn’t work he should give her the silent treatment to show his anger.
- In the event that those two options fail the third option is to strike her v.slightly such as using the Miswak the beatings should not be in the face, "If he beats her," Al-Arefe said in the video -which is NOT the full one-, "the beatings must be light and must not make her face ugly. He should beat her in some places where it will not cause any damage."[5]
In July 2015, Al-Arafe wrote a critique[6] on Facebook of the Egyptian Ramadan TV series Jewish Quarter, complaining that it showed Jews in a positive light, when in reality Jews were terrible people. It was picked up by Arabic media.
In March 2014, he was banned by the Home Office from returning to Britain after a series of sermons in Cardiff, Birmingham and London. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm Mohammad Al-Arefe has been excluded from the United Kingdom. The Government makes no apologies for refusing people access to the UK if we believe they represent a threat to our society. Coming here is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who seek to subvert our shared values."[7][8]
The 2013 Egyptian coup d'état
In July 2013, Al-Arefe was detained by the Saudi authorities for using YouTube to criticize the military coup d'état in Egypt, an ally of Saudi Arabia.[9] It was speculated that the arrest was in response to a complaint filed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to its Saudi counterpart. The complaint claimed that Al-Arefe was intervening in Egyptian domestic affairs. Before his release, he signed a pledge not to interfere in Egyptian affairs and was released afterwards but placed under house arrest. He was also banned from traveling to Doha, where he was scheduled to deliver a religious lecture there. The Saudi authorities never announced the reason behind Al-Arefe's arrest.
Sanctions
In October 2014, he was jailed for 40 days for stating that the train linking Mecca and other holy sites was "one of the worst in the world".[9] Al-Arefe was banned from entering Switzerland for holding extreme views, Switzerland said.[1]
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mohamad al-Arefe. |
References
- 1 2 Milmo, Cahal (24 June 2013). "Sunni vs Shia... in Gerrard's Cross: New mosque highlights growing tensions among British Muslims". The Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ official verified English page , facebook, 2016
- ↑ Top Twitter User Rankings retrieved 3 June 2014
- ↑ Does Islam allow men to beat there wives Explained by Muhammad al arifi. YouTube. 14 May 2009.
- ↑ MEMRI – The Middle East Media Research Institute: "Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-'Arifi Explains Wife Beating in Islam to Young Muslims in a Ramadhan Show" Clip No. 1594 – 9 September 2007
- ↑ "🚫 الآباء والأبناء والمربين ووقفات مع... – الصفحة الرسمية للشيخ د. محمد العريفي . – Facebook". facebook.com (in Arabic).
- ↑ "Banned preacher under scrutiny over links to young Cardiff men fighting with Isis in Iraq and Syria". ITV. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Morris, Steven (23 June 2014). "Father of Cardiff jihadists says his sons were radicalised in 'pop-up' schools". Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- 1 2 Christian Science Monitor: "Saudi Arabia presses 'YouTube imams' to toe the line on Yemen – Popular Muslim clerics are using social media to stir dissent beyond the purview of government-controlled mosques and satellite TV stations. Saudi Arabia is sensitive to criticism of its war in Yemen" By Taylor Luck 2 June 2015