The world’s highest authority of Sunni Islam, Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi of al-Azhar University in Cairo, is telling Muslims that suicide bombings are just fine with God: Suicide attacks on US-led troops in Iraq permitted.

Suicide attacks on the US-led coalition in Iraq are "permitted under (Islamic) religious law," the sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni Muslim spiritual authority, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, said here Saturday.

"Martyr operations against the invading forces are permitted under religious law," he said, quoted by the official MENA news agency.

Tantawi described the invasion of Iraq to oust the regime of Saddam Hussein as "an unjust aggression".

"Whoever attacks others, spilling blood, harming the other's honour and land is a terrorist," he added, referring to the US-led coalition.

Hat tip: NC, who says MSNBC is reporting that Al Jazeera has the Sheikh’s speech on a loop, showing it over and over to the Arab world.