Top Saudi mufti reportedly issues fatwa allowing starving husbands to eat wives
Saudi media accuses Iranian media of fabricating the fatwa.
By JPOST.COM STAFFWomen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia(photo credit: REUTERS)
Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority has issued a fatwa allowing a starving man to eat his wife in order to save himself, causing a stir among the Kingdom's residents, London-based daily al-Quds al-Arabi reported.Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, according to the report, said that the act would display the wife's obedience to her husband and her willingness to become one with his flesh.Saudi Twitter users quickly took to the social network to express their shock at the strange fatwa attributed to the Grand Mufti, al-Quds al-Arabi reported.Following the report Saudi media accused Iranian media of fabricating the fatwa, noting that the fatwa was not on the official's website. The Grand Mufti had previously issued controversial fatwas, such as a decree permitting the marriage of minors under the age of 15.Saudi Arabia follows the ultra conservative Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam. Last year, Al-Sheikh came out against ISIS and al-Qaida, saying they were "enemy number one of Islam" and not in any way part of the faith."Extremist and militant ideas and terrorism which spread decay on Earth, destroying human civilization, are not in any way part of Islam, but are enemy number one of Islam, and Muslims are their first victims," he said in a statement. Reuters contributed to this report.