Here’s the explanation for why LGF has recently been seeing an increasing number of attempted hack attacks from Arab countries—a fatwa approving cyber terrorism against sites “hostile to Islam,” issued by the highest official cleric of Saudi Arabia. (Hat tip: Thom.)

WASHINGTON DC, December 2, 2002 — The Saudi Information Agency has obtained a fatwa approving cyber terrorism issued by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al-Alshaikh, the highest official cleric in the country.

The mufti, who enjoys a position of a government minister, published the fatwa in the government financed religious magazine Al-Dawa, headquartered in Riyadh.  Al-Alshaikh also heads of the official Council of Senior Religious Scholars, which issues religious rulings for the state.

Following the fatwa numerous Saudi hackers started to attack many websites that included the FBI and Pentagon websites, according to a hacker interviewed by Al-Riyadh newspaper September 5, 2001. The hacker told the paper he attacked over 1000 websites in the USA. Attacked websites included: www.ifccfbi.gov, www.mms.gov, and www.kiss.com.

The Fatwa

Question: If there were websites on the internet that are hostile to Islam, and broadcasting immoral materials. Is it permissible for me to send it viruses to disable and destroy these websites?
— Abdul Aziz Saleh Al-Morashid – Erqa

Answer: If these websites are hostile to Islam and you could encounter its evilness with goodness; And to respond to it, refute its falsehood, and show its void content; that would be the best option. But if you are unable to respond to it, and you wanted to destroy it and you have the ability to do so, its ok to destroy it because it is an evil website.

Source: AlDaawa Magazine, issue 1741, May 11, 2000.