Hammoud bin Oqla al-Shoeiby, 77; Sheik Praised by Al Qaeda

Sheik Hammoud bin Oqla al-Shoeiby, 77, an Islamic cleric who was praised by the Al Qaeda terror group and censured by the Saudi government, died Saturday in Breida in central Saudi Arabia of a heart attack.

Although blind, Al-Shoeiby rose to become a leading Islamic scholar whose students included Saudi Arabia’s current minister of justice and former Islamic affairs minister.

In October, the sheik attracted international attention when he issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling for holy war against the United States in support of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and their Al Qaeda allies. Shortly afterward, an Al Qaeda spokesman expressed appreciation for Al-Shoeiby in a videotaped message broadcast by the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera.

The Saudi government banned Al-Shoeiby from issuing edicts or giving sermons. Interior Minister Prince Nayef issued a statement saying that only authorized clerics could issue fatwas.