TEL AVIV — The Saudi author Turki al-Hamad set off a storm of controversy on social media in Saudi Arabia after tweeting an accusation against local educational facilities, which he claimed espouse ideology that supports Islamic terrorism.
Alhamad wrote in the controversial tweet, “ISIS is a virus located in our schools, in our universities, in our institutions, in our families, in the air and atmosphere around us, a virus waiting for the opportunity to recover anew. The virus will remain as long as the legacy of Ibn Taymiyyah and all his students stays among us.”
The Islamic philosopher Taqī ad-Dīn Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah is considered the spiritual father of the Salafi movement in Islam and a source of inspiration for jihadists in the Islamic State and other groups. He lived in the 13th century. His supporters claim that accusing him of being the father of jihadist terror does an injustice to him since his later teachings moderated his earlier messages that called for violent jihad against the enemies of Islam.
Hamad’s tweet stirred up much debate, with one Twitter user saying, “Taymiyyah dies in 728 according to the Islamic calendar (1328 A.D.). Could it be that after his death and throughout all these years ISIS was only created because of him? Liar.”
Another Twitter user, Countesa, wrote, “Mr. Turki is accusing the entire Saudi nation of being ISIS and supporting terror. Allah’s state, may it be protected, is committed to protecting the rights of the citizens and it’s the right of the people that the state will respond to this tweeter.”
Muhammad Alshamasi wrote, “The writings of the Islamic Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah and his rulings are the main source of all the clerics and judges after the Quran. Is everyone wrong?”
https://twitter.com/m_s_alshamasi/status/880509981073829888
In response to Alshamasi, an account called Aboshog wrote, “And is this exactly the reason for our primitiveness and that the entire world hates us.”
Alnashba Hassan wrote, “Firstly, thank Allah that Ibn Taymiyyah’s books were all printed by our government, if you want to accuse him of terror. Secondly, I challenge you to find one word of Ibn Taymiyyah’s that can be considered a call to terror. All his words focus on the need to obey the rulers.”
https://twitter.com/walan11/status/880758010888454144
The social media user Najd wrote, “The Muslim Saudi nation is the nation that gives the most in charity and it’s a nation of social involvement and charity activity and donations and Zakat. And now comes someone who claims that hatred is rooted in our society.”
https://twitter.com/na_0055/status/880536429310484480
Fahad responded, “The discourse of hatred is indeed rooted in us and is the source of the extremism that leads to terror in the end.”
https://twitter.com/FahadBE7/status/880519269552988160
Hameed agreed, saying, “The discourse of hatred is the engine behind which other matters nurture the root planted by the discourse of hatred.”
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