Tunisians Raise Alarm on Possible
Fatwa Encouraging 'Sexual Jihad'
About This Article
Summary :
There has been much controversy in Tunisia surrounding a recently released
and possibly false fatwa calling on girls to travel to Syria to carry out
“sexual jihad” in support of opposition fighters, writes Mohammad Yassin
al-Jalassi.
By: Mohammad Yassin al-Jalassi Translated from Al-Hayat (Pan Arab)
<
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/about/sources/alhayat> .
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http://alhayat.com/Details/497099> ÇŢŃÇ ÇáăŢÇá ÇáĂŐáí ČÇááŰÉ ÇáÚŃČíÉ
Tunisia witnessed controversy yesterday [March 26, 2013] regarding a
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatw%C4%81> fatwa that permits “sexual jihad”
in Syria. Tunisian Minister of
<
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/10/in-tunisia-lawmakers-clash
-over-gender-equality-religion-in-new-constitution.html> Religious Affairs
Noureddine al-Khadimi rejected “sexual jihad” fatwas, saying that the
Tunisian people and state institutions are not obligated to adhere to them.
Khadimi’s statements follow reports that Tunisian teenagers have headed to
Syria in response to this fatwa.
The minister stated that these fatwas have been rejected since they are “new
terms that are foreign to the country.” He said that fatwas must be based on
scientific, methodological and objective references. He also noted that any
fatwas issued at home or abroad “only obligate those who issue them, not the
Tunisian people or state institutions.”
The minister’s statements came after the spread of an anonymous “sexual
jihad” fatwa on the Internet calling on young women to support
<
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/01/nusra-syria-islamic-state
.html> opposition fighters in Syria by providing sexual services. According
to media reports and mujahideen who returned to Tunisia after participating
in jihad in Syria, 13 Tunisian girls headed to the battlefield in response
to the “sexual jihad” fatwa.
News websites and social networks in Tunisia circulated a fatwa attributed
to Sheikh M. A., in which he calls upon “Muslim women” to perform jihad
through sex. However, sources close to the sheikh denied that he had issued
the fatwa, stressing that anyone who circulates or believes it is insane.
It is noteworthy that this fatwa had gained much attention on pro-Syrian
regime websites, the goal of which may be to tarnish the image of the
Islamic fighters.
Regardless of whether the fatwa is true or false, it seems to have resonated
among at least 13 Tunisian girls. A few days ago, Tunisian newspapers said
that a young Tunisian man divorced his wife, and that they both headed to
Syria almost a month ago to “allow her to engage in sexual jihad with the
mujahideen” there.
Although this fatwa was not issued by a Tunisian cleric or a religious
institution — whether official or civil — it did not prevent a number of
Tunisian girls from traveling to Syria to perform “sexual jihad.” According
to analysts, the reason is that Tunisian youth are greatly influenced by
Salafist sheikhs living abroad.
Two weeks ago, a video was widely circulated on the internet and social
websites in Tunisia. It shows the parents of a veiled girl called Rahmah
saying that they did not find their daughter — who was not even 18 years old
— at home in the morning, and later learned that she had headed to Syria to
carry out “sexual jihad.” The family of Rahmah — who later returned to her
family, which have ever since intentionally kept her out of sight — said
that their daughter is not a religious fanatic, but was influenced by her
fellow students who are known for their affiliation with
<
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/11/tunisia-salafists-clash-wi
th-security-forces-ennahda-on-the-fence.html> the jihadist Salafist current.
They said that these fellow students may have brainwashed her and convinced
her to travel to Syria “to support the mujahideen there.”
Al-Hadi Yahmad, a researcher on the affairs of Islamic groups, told Al-Hayat
that “the issue of sexual jihad was initially attributed to a Saudi sheikh
who denied it, and this fatwa is abnormal and not endorsed by religious
scholars.” He added that this fatwa — had it indeed been issued — may
involve Syrian girls living in Syria, who can “support the mujahideen by
marrying them for a few hours.”
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Received on Thu Apr 04 2013 - 13:36:48 EDT
