JEDDAH: A senior Saudi scholar has backed a religious edit issued in Dubai that prohibits the use of WiFi without the paying subscriber’s consent.
Saudi Arabia’s Sheikh Ali Al-Hakami said the Grand Mufti of Dubai Ahmed Al-Haddad was correct in issuing his fatwa on the matter because it was stealing from the person paying for the service from an Internet provider.
It was only permissible to use systems deliberately opened for public use by shopping centers, government departments and hotels. Hacking a system was strictly forbidden, he was quoted as saying by a local publication on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the 55-year-old debate about the permissibility of singing and the use of musical instruments rages on in the Kingdom, with various scholars weighing in on the subject.
Last month, prominent Saudi scholar Sheikh Saleh Al-Maghamsi created a stir, particularly on social media, saying that there was no verse in the Qur’an expressly forbidding music.
“If God wanted to speak on music in general, he would have given a verse on this, but there is no such verse,” he said. “There’s no consensus,” the sheikh said about music’s permissibility.
In 1961, Al-Raid magazine published a long article by Abu Turab Al-Zahiri entitled “Qur’an and Sunnah does not forbid singing, musical instruments and flutes, or listening to them.”
This was followed by a debate among various scholars based on the writings of 12th century scholar Sheikh Mohammed Al-Ghazali, who said music is allowed only under certain circumstances.
And then in 2009, Sheikh Adil Kalbani, the former imam at the Grand Mosque, was quoted as saying by Al-Arabiya: “There is no clear text or ruling in Islam that singing and music are prohibited.” He then told an online newspaper: “I am talking about decent singing, which contains decent words, and supports morality.”
Saudi scholar backs fatwa banning unlawful WiFi use
Saudi scholar backs fatwa banning unlawful WiFi use
Henan University boosts academic ties with visit to KAU
- Delegation met KAU’s Acting Vice President Prof. Hana Abdullah Al-Nuaim to discuss strategies for joint initiatives in research, training and education
- Visiting delegation commending KAU’s state-of-the-art research and training capabilities
JEDDAH: A delegation from Henan University in China visited King Abdulaziz University, or KAU, in Jeddah on Wednesday to explore opportunities for strengthening academic collaboration.
During their visit, the delegation met KAU’s Acting Vice President Prof. Hana Abdullah Al-Nuaim, to discuss strategies for joint initiatives in research, training and education.
The Chinese delegation toured several facilities at KAU, including the King Faisal Convention Center, the Central Library and the Sports Village. Their visit also included the Chinese Culture and Science Institute, a bridge for cultural and knowledge exchange between the Kingdom and China.
The visiting delegation expressed their admiration for the academic standards of KAU, commending its state-of-the-art research and training capabilities.
They underscored the importance of the visit in deepening academic collaboration between the two universities and facilitating the exchange of expertise and knowledge across academic and research domains.
Saudi reforms have ‘reinforced unwavering principles of justice, equality,’ says HRC president
- Since Vision 2030 launched, Kingdom has ‘witnessed unprecedented openness’: Hala bint Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri
- ‘Number of women serving as chairpersons or vice-chairpersons of boards reached 327, and the number of women board members reached 1005,’ delegation says
GENEVA: Saudi Arabia has implemented sustained reforms that have reinforced its unwavering principles of justice and equality, the president of the Kingdom’s Human Rights Commission said on Wednesday.
Since the launch of Vision 2030, the Kingdom has “witnessed unprecedented openness to diverse races, cultures and religions,” said Hala bint Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri.
She is heading the Kingdom’s delegation to the 114th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Tuwaijri said: “The Kingdom’s territory is now home to over 13 million residents of more than 60 nationalities, constituting over 40 percent of the population.”
She added that these residents enjoy equal rights and protection from racial discrimination.
The HRC chief highlighted the issuance and amendment of regulations promoting protection from discrimination.
She said that national policy to encourage equal opportunities and treatment in employment and occupation is a key initiative to eliminate labor market discrimination.
Al-Tuwaijri highlighted national policy to prevent child labor. She also pointed to the establishment of labor courts as a qualitative advancement in the realm of labor justice.
The late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman established the Kingdom on the bedrock principles of justice, equality and the rejection of racism and discrimination, she said.
Under the Saudi leadership, a contemporary interpretation of these steadfast principles has led to the development of a comprehensive legislative, institutional and judicial framework to combat racism and racial discrimination, she added.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Saudi delegation to the CERD session said that many regulations and bylaws in the Kingdom have been amended to achieve equality between men and women.
These include the Travel Documents Law, Civil Status Law, Labor Law and Social Insurance Law.
As a result, by the third quarter of 2024, women’s participation in the labor market reached 35.4 percent, with a change rate of 108 percent since 2017, surpassing Vision 2030 targets, the statement said.
“The number of women serving as chairpersons or vice-chairpersons of boards reached 327, and the number of women board members reached 1005. Women held 43.8 percent of mid and senior management positions in the private sector.
“The number of female ambassadors abroad stood at six, with 204 female diplomats and 246 women working in international institutions abroad,” the statement said.
Saudi interior minister, Algerian president hold meeting
RIYADH: Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz met Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday.
During the meeting at the presidential palace in Algiers, they reviewed Saudi-Algerian relations and security cooperation between the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Abdulaziz passed on the best wishes of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and expressed hope for Algeria's “continued success and prosperity.”
Saudi Arabia, Brazil partner on space technology
- Scheme will promote the sustainable use of orbital resources and enable the use of modern technologies in space data analysis
- Forms part of the commission’s efforts to enhance international partnerships and leverage its expertise in communications, space and technology
RIYADH: The Saudi Communications, Space and Technology Commission has launched an initiative for a research study in space sustainability in collaboration with Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency.
It is the result of a previous agreement between the two parties.
The scheme will promote the sustainable use of orbital resources and enable the use of modern technologies in space data analysis.
It was launched on the platform of the 2024 International Forum on Non-Terrestrial Networks, where Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, governor of the commission, invited the international community to take part and support research on space sustainability for the benefit of future generations.
The scheme is part of the commission’s efforts to enhance international partnerships and leverage its expertise in communications, space and technology.
Saudi FM meets with GCC ministers ahead of Supreme Council session in Kuwait
- Israeli military campaign in Gaza, ceasefire in Lebanon is discussed during a preparatory GCC ministerial meeting
- Saudi ambassador to Kuwait attended meeting
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part on Thursday in a preparatory ministerial meeting ahead of a GCC Supreme Council session due to take place in Kuwait on Sunday.
The meeting was chaired by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Faisal discussed with his counterparts the latest developments in regional and international issues, including the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip, achieving a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue and the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon.
The GCC ministers also discussed the progress in implementing the decisions agreed upon during the former 44th session of the GCC Supreme Council, as well as dialogue and strategic cooperation among GCC members and international organizations.
Prince Sultan bin Saad, Saudi ambassador to Kuwait; Abdulrahman Al-Rassi, Saudi undersecretary of multilateral international affairs; Mohammed Al-Yahya, an adviser to Prince Faisal; Walid Al-Samaeel, the director-general of Prince Faisal’s office; and Anas Al-Wassidi, the director of the GCC department in the Foreign Ministry, attended the meeting.
Prince Faisal will attend on Sunday the 45th session of the GCC Supreme Council in Kuwait City. The session will include leaders and top officials from GCC countries, including Oman, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain.
Earlier on Thursday, Prince Faisal was received at Kuwait International Airport by his Kuwaiti counterpart; Prince Sultan; and the secretary general of the GCC, Jasem Al-Budaiwi.
