A Saudi cleric has published a "fatwa" (Islamic decree) calling for the prosecution of two of the kingdom's most prominent businessmen, who belong to the ruling family.
This fatwa is unusual as it states the names of the two officials and is not just a general call. The two men mentioned are business tycoon Waleed bin Talal, one of the wealthiest people on earth, and al-Waleed al-Ibrahim, the brother-in-law of former Saudi King Fahd.
Yusuf al-Ahmad, an Islamic law professor, called for the two men's prosecution as "drug dealers" due to the fact that they own commercial television channels broadcasting "inappropriate programs". Bin Talal owns Rotana TV and al-Ibrahim owns the MBC channel.
Bin Talal recently stated that he believes film theaters should reopen in the kingdom. According to al-Ahmad, the screening of films is part of a Western plot to promote Western values, and this is as dangerous as drug dealing.
Saudi Arabia's film theaters were closed in the early 1980s, following claims that they did not fit the kingdom's values.
Bin Talal is the Saudi king's nephew and has been ranked 13th on Forbes magazine's rich list.
Doron Peskin is head of research at Info-Prod Research (Middle East) Ltd.
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