# Question on Fatwa's **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158 "2006-03-05T18:19:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/1 "2006-03-05T18:19:19Z")
We’re all aware of the fatwa placed on Salman Rushdie back in the '80’s, just as we’re all aware of the thousands of Imams, Clerics, Mullah’s, and religious scholars who jumped on the bandwagon. Just curious, but have any prominent Islamic religious figures ever declared a fatwa on Osama Bin Laden? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/2 "2006-03-05T18:33:10Z")
To clarify, a fatwa is not a “death sentence” (which is a common misunderstanding), it’s a non-binding ruling issued by a cleric. Islam has no official hierarchy and people pretty much follow the fatwas they choose to follow. Anyway, yes, [Muslim clerics have issued fatwas decrying Osama bin Laden.](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/11/madrid.anniversary/) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/3 "2006-03-05T18:35:01Z")
Actually, the Islamic Commission of Spain issued a fatwa in March of 2005 condemning bin Laden’s actions and terrorism in general. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/03/10/international/i123110S78.DTL](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/03/10/international/i123110S78.DTL) It’s important to remember, too, that a fatwa isn’t like a contract on someone’s life, as the whole Salman Rushdie thing might lead you to believe. It’s a decision on a point of law, and there are fatwas on everything from whether or not terrorism is allowed in Islam (as per this one), to whether or not it’s ok for women to wear lipstick. ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/4 "2006-03-05T18:37:27Z")
Ah, great. Thanks for the clarification **Kyla**. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/5 "2006-03-05T18:40:19Z")
> [@George Kaplin](#): > > We’re all aware of the fatwa placed on Salman Rushdie back in the '80’s, just as we’re all aware of the thousands of Imams, Clerics, Mullah’s, and religious scholars who jumped on the bandwagon. Just curious, but have any prominent Islamic religious figures ever declared a fatwa on Osama Bin Laden? Well, it’s not exactly a bandwagon. A fatwa is just any legal ruling by a Muslim “cleric.” A decision that blowing your nose during prayer is okay is also an example of a fatwa. It has exactly as much force as people are willing to give it, as the next cleric down the line might come to a completely different position ( blowing your nose during prayer is verboten ). Anyway if you are asking if fatwas have ever been issued saying ObL’s terrorist attacks are wrong, then yes there has been such. If you are asking if any have been issued demanding his death, then I think the answer is largely no. There have been one or two I’ve heard about, but they were issued by minor cleircs in Afghanistan in the context of military and political animosity towards ObL’s militia. By and large “major”, i.e. mainstream Muslim religious figures don’t issue many “death fatwas.” It’s what seperates them from fanatics like ObL’s spiritual advisors and demagogues like Khomeini. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/6 "2006-03-05T18:40:44Z")
And **Captain Amazing** , sliding in under the wire there 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/7 "2006-03-05T18:43:20Z")
I never get the love. Just because I’m a slow typist :p. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/8 "2006-03-05T19:08:58Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I never get the love. Just because I’m a slow typist :p. > > - Tamerlane Aw… {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Tamerlane}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/9 "2006-03-06T01:01:06Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Actually, the Islamic Commission of Spain issued a fatwa in March of 2005 condemning bin Laden’s actions and terrorism in general. How good of them to spring into action, there… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-fatwas/347158/10 "2006-03-06T03:15:30Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > How good of them to spring into action, there… 😉 It was the one year anniversary of the Madrid bombings.