Abdulaziz Al Tarefe

Biography

Abulaziz Al Tarefe is a Saudi Salafi scholar of Kuwaiti origin. Al Tarefe is an Islamic preacher and has engaged widely in preaching activities, including presenting a number of religious lectures and hadith preaching through radio and television. Al Tarefe regularly tweets on his English and Arabic twitter account, and was arrested in April 2016 by Saudi authorities due to incitement to terrorism, and his objection to the Kingdom’s policies to restrict the power of the country’s religious police.

Al Tarefe, however, is reportedly praised by Jihadists until today. An Al-Qaeda audio report from 2006 discusses the younger generation of Saudi clerics, most notably Al Tarefe, that were amenable and sympathetic to Al Qaeda’s cause. Although this is outdated, Al Tarefe’s arrest in 2016 prompted reactions from radical jihadists operating in Syria, such as Abdullah Al Muhaysini - a Saudi member affiliated with an extremist jihadist faction within the Syrian opposition.

Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:

December 2018: In a tweet posted on Christmas day on his English account, Al Tarefe stated that it is not permissible to wish Christians a merry Christmas “for the lie of the birth of a son of God, even if he congratulates you for the Eid of Islam. In his tweet, he further adds that attending the religious festivals of the “Mushrikun” (Unbelievers) is prohibited.

September 2018: On his English twitter account, Al Tarefe criticised the Shias commemoration of the killing of the Prophet’s nephew Hussain in Karbala, a historical Islamic event considered holy and important for Shias. In his tweet, Al Tarefe stated that what has been mentioned regarding Karbala are all “fabricated lies that have been made by the Rafidah” (Rafidah is a derogatory term for Shias).

April 2016: In response to Saudi Arabia’s decision to rein in the power of the religious police, Al Tarefe tweeted that “There are some rulers who think that renouncing their religion to satisfy infidels will put an end to the pressures on them. The more they take one step down, the more they push them to take further steps until they end up with the same religion as them [infidels]”ـ

June 2017: Al Tarefe referred to Shias as heretics and apostates in a live television interview.

Social Media:

Wishing Christians a #MerryChristmas & Celebrating #Christmas pic.twitter.com/qrSlLD7PDV
— Abdul-Aziz al-Tarifi (@Altarefe_En) December 25, 2018

There’s nothing authentic in the Sunnah or from the Companions concerning the merit of #Karbala. Furthermore, there was no Karbala in the time of the Prophet ﷺ for him to give it any merit. What’s been mentioned are fabricated lies that have been made up by the #Rafidah.#Ashura
— Abdul-Aziz al-Tarifi (@Altarefe_En) September 19, 2018

يظن بعض الحكام أن تنازله عن بعض دينه إرضاء للكفار سيوقف ضغوطهم، وكلما نزل درجة دفعوه أُخرى، الثبات واحد والضغط واحد فغايتهم (حتى تتبع ملتهم)
— عبدالعزيز الطريفي (@abdulaziztarefe) April 21, 2016

لم يتواطأ اليهود والنصارى مع الرافضة على الإسلام كما هو اليوم، كانوا يتواطأون في بلدٍ واليوم في كل بلد .
— عبدالعزيز الطريفي (@abdulaziztarefe) October 27, 2014