Tripoli, 12 September 2013:
The Dar Al-Ifta Islamic Research and Studies Council has . . .[restrict]said that any tampering with Libya’s oil industry, for any reason whatsoever, amounts to a “grave sin” for which those involved will have to answer in the afterlife.
In a statement just released following its first meeting on 1 September, it said that Libyans had “a religious responsibility to protect the sanctity of people’s lives, property, dignity and honour and to respect the blood shed by those who sacrificed their lives as martyrs”. They also had to respect “the sanctity of public property and wealth represented in oil, which is considered the wealth of all people and cannot be tempered with under any pretext.”
Tampering with oil, it said “would be as if it has fallen a hostage in the hands of a particular group or party – such an act would be considered a grave sin in addition to being a clear violation of state sovereignty as well as being illegitimate act and theft for which those involved will be held accountable in the hereafter”.
Anyone who prevented individuals who had been tasked by the GNC or the Chief of Staff to maintain law and order or restore state sovereignty at oil wells and terminals throughout the country “would be considered a lawbreaker, who must be taken and punished for undermining people’s safety and security and threatening their daily sustenance and living” the Council said. Such people would “be violating the principles of the 17 February Revolution and a threat to public security and stability”.
Referring to the lack of security on the coast road, where it said “thugs and criminals were stealing cars, kidnapping innocent people and terrorising passers-by”, the council forbad anyone to “provide protection to such gangs, to cover up on them or give them sanctuary”.
In addition to the Grand Mufti, the council comprises Ghaith Mahmoud Fakhiri, Omar Mouloud Abdel-Hamid, Hamza Abu-Faris Abubakr, Salem Abdel-Salam Sheikhi, Mohamed Abu-Ajila, Nadir Senussi Imrani, Ahmed Omran Kamiti and Tariq Sasi Sheibani. [/restrict]
