Nasser Al-Omar
Nationality:
Saudi
Place of Residence:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Occupation:
Cleric, member of the Muslim Scholars Association, head of the International Association of Tadabbur Al-Quran
Legal Status:
Detained in Saudi Arabia since August 2018
Medium:
Twitter, Al-Moslim website, books and interviews
He is known for being affiliated to the former and current emirs of Qatar, and to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group designated as terrorists by many countries around the world.
He is a member of the Muslim Scholars Association, spearheaded by Qatar-based Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, one of the preachers of hate profiled by Arab News.
Born in the village of Al-Moraidasiih in the Saudi region of Qassim in 1952, Al-Omar completed his schooling in Riyadh’s Methodical Institute in 1970.
He then attended Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University and received a bachelor’s degree from the Shariah faculty in 1974, before being appointed a lecturer at the university, where he pursued his higher education from 1979 to 1984.
He became an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1989, before becoming a full-fledged professor in 1993.
Al-Omar opposed the rewriting of Saudi religious schoolbooks to remove anti-Western and anti-Jewish teachings, and forbade Muslims from entering churches.
Ideas
On travel, learning languages, gaining foreign nationalities
Al-Omar wrote on his website that “if travel is for tourism, and the traveler thinks that it is likely that he will fall into sin, the journey is prohibited.”
He added: “If there is no danger of temptation, I think it is disliked, especially traveling to the land of the infidels.”
He only deems it appropriate to travel abroad in cases such as medical treatment, advocacy, relief work and education.
He wrote: “Learning the rhetoric of the foreigners is not limited to learning the language and alphabet, but it goes beyond to admiration, similitude and reading their cultures that are contrary to the guidance of the Prophet peace be upon him. All this and other things have obvious negative effects, and the reality shows evidence of this.”
He added: “It isn’t permissible for Muslims to join the Christians in their festivals with any kind of participation, whether congratulating them, giving gifts to them, attending their celebrations, celebrating them, honoring them or any other form of participation.”
He also prohibited Muslims from obtaining the nationality of an “infidel” country, “except for those who are forced to do so.”
On women
One of Al-Omar’s fatwas states that it is only acceptable for a woman to practice sports and physical exercise in her home by purchasing the necessary equipment.
“She should not practice sports before any of her family members, even those who are consanguineous to her, except for her husband and the women,” the fatwa stated.
He dubbed women’s sports facilities and gyms “the greatest means of corruption,” and forbade them “because it leads to many evils that do not compare to the desired benefits.”
When a woman inquired about wearing colored contact lenses, he replied: “I do not agree with this because it is changing the creation of God, there is no necessity, and it is proven to be harmful.”
He spoke in support of child marriage in an article he wrote in March 2012, titled “About the Marriage of Young Girls.”
He said prohibiting girls from marrying before they reach the age of 18 could “lead to many evils because it does not appreciate the situation of girls under this age, who may feel strong passionate desires, and their parents want to protect them by marrying them off.”
He said those against child marriage are “arrogant” and should look at the West, where pregnancies at a young age are “proven and registered, and some of them are in primary school!”
He added: “It is strange that if a 12-year-old girl was divorced in Yemen, they make a lot of fuss … But if a 10-year-old child has a baby in the West … they celebrated the youngest father, and the State provided care and gear!”
On the Pope
Many Muslims mourned when Pope John Paul II passed away in 2005. When asked about this, Al-Omar said: “His service to his religion is the dissemination of infidelity, polytheism and the war against Islam.”
Analysis
- Saudi preacher has been a vigorous opponent of the influence of modern ideas in the Islamic world
- Al-Omar said prohibiting girls from marrying before the age of 18 could “lead to many evils”
Detained in August 2018, Saudi hate preacher Nasser Al-Omar was avigorous opponent of modern ideas in the Islamic world, and ofintermingling between Muslims and non-Muslims.
He issued many fatwas (religious edicts) that placed curbs on the rightsof women. He is known for his continued affiliation with the MuslimBrotherhood, a group designated as terrorists by many countries aroundthe world.
Al-Omar is a member of the Muslim Scholars Association, spearheaded byQatar-based Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, one of the preachers of hate profiled byArab News.
Al-Omar opposed the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf War that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.
Born and raised in the village of Al-Moraidasiih in the Saudi region ofQassim in 1952, he completed his schooling in Riyadh’s MethodicalInstitute in 1970 before pursuing a degree from the Shariah faculty atImam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh in 1974. He wasappointed a lecturer soon after, and pursued his high education from1979 to 1984.
“It isn’t permissible for Muslims to join the Christians in theirfestivals with any kind of participation, whether congratulating them,giving gifts to them, attending their celebrations, celebrating them,honoring them or any other form of participation.”
Hate preacher Nasser Al-Omar
He spoke in support of child marriage in an article he wrote in March2012, titled “About the Marriage of Young Girls.” He said prohibitinggirls from marrying before they reach the age of 18 could “lead to manyevils because it does not appreciate the situation of girls under thisage, who may feel strong passionate desires, and their parents want toprotect them by marrying them off.”
Al-Omar added that those against child marriage are “arrogant” andshould look at the West, where pregnancies at a young age are “provenand registered, and some of them are in primary school!”
He said: “It is strange that if a 12-year-old girl was divorced inYemen, they make a lot of fuss … But if a 10-year-old child has a babyin the West … they celebrated the youngest father, and the Stateprovided care and gear!”
Dr. Hani Nasira, an author and expert on ideological movements, saidAl-Omar “sometimes reverts to forgery, fabrication, or transmittingfalse stories and tales.”
Al-Omar has dubbed women’s sports facilities “the greatest means ofcorruption,” forbidding them “because it leads to many evils that do notcompare to the desired benefits.”
He opposed the rewriting of Saudi religious schoolbooks to remove anti-Western and anti-Jewish teachings.
In 2005, a question was posted on his website after Pope John Paul II’sdeath, asking if it was permissible to curse him as many Muslims weremourning him. Al-Omar replied: “As for cursing him, it is permissible tocurse those who have died as infidels … His service to his religion isthe dissemination of infidelity, polytheism and the war against Islam.”
Al-Omar prohibited Muslims from celebrating with or congratulating Christians on their holidays.
“It isn’t permissible for Muslims to join the Christians in theirfestivals with any kind of participation, whether congratulating them,giving gifts to them, attending their celebrations, celebrating them,honoring them or any other form of participation,” he said.
While Al-Omar deemed traveling to “infidel” countries for medicaltreatment, advocacy, relief work and education acceptable, he wrote onhis website that “if travel is for tourism, and the traveler thinks thatit is likely that he will fall into sin, the journey is prohibited.”
He added: “As for travel to commit sin and visit forbidden places andnight clubs, it is forbidden, and this is a sinful journey.”
Al-Omar said: “I advise not to travel abroad unless it is a travel ofobedience, necessity or urgent need, provided there is no danger oftemptation, and that there is a determination to stay away fromforbidden acts, otherwise his country is better for him (the traveler).”
When asked on his website about Muslims taking a foreign nationality, hesaid it was “not permissible for Muslims to travel to the land of theinfidels to stay there except for a necessity or a pressing need,” and“living amongst the infidels is forbidden.”
He added that “it is also not permissible to obtain the nationality ofthe infidel countries except for those who are forced to do so.”
Nasira said Al-Omar “only advocates hatred,” and his stances includeopposing the liberation of Kuwait, rejecting the idea of citizenship forShiites in Saudi Arabia, and “his ridiculous fatwas banning honeymoons,or tourism and visits to what he called ‘infidel countries’.”
Al-Omar’s fatwas, published works and videos are available on hiswebsite and his personal Twitter account, which has 6 million followers.
