Ordinary Saudis will reject calls from Osama bin Laden for a "holy war" against Americans as it is a clear perversion of Islam, a member of Saudi Arabia's consultative Shura Council said yesterday.
The message from bin Laden may initially appeal to Saudis frustrated by US policy in the Middle East, Mr Abdulmohsen al-Akkas said. But ultimately they would not accept it, as Islam clearly forbade the killing of non-combatants, he said.
"The romance of defiance has been gripping the minds of many people... It has an appeal but it won't sell," Mr Akkas said.
"His cause is a perversion of what Islam is about. It may initially appeal to the emotions of ordinary Saudis... but after they think about what he is saying they will realise it is a travesty of Islam."
Mr Akkas made clear he was speaking for himself personally, not for the appointed 120-member Shura Council, which operates as an advisory body and plays a role similar to that of an elected parliament. The kingdom has no elected legislature.
The council - grouping businessmen, academics, religious leaders and former government officials - was set up in 1993 to provide the king with feedback on crucial issues and legislation which is traditionally passed by the king.
Mr Akkas is also on the board of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and assistant to the chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, the largest publishing firm in the region.
Sheikh Saleh al-Lehaidan, who chairs the supreme council of Muslim scholars, swiftly condemned the attacks on New York and Washington. "How can someone claiming to be Islamic kill thousands of innocent men and women going about their daily lives?" he asked.