Wasael al-Irhab al-Elektroni Hukmuha fi al-Islam wa Turuq Mukafahatiha
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- The book is published on the website of the Saudi Ministry of Awqaf without publication details
Wasael al-Irhab al-Elektroni Hukmuha fi al-Islam wa Turuq Mukafahatiha (Means of Electronic Terrorism: Their Ruling in Islam and Methods of Combating Them) is a contemporary juridical study authored by Abd al-Rahman al-Sanad examining the definition, mechanisms, Islamic legal rulings, and preventative measures concerning cyberterrorism.
Purpose and Scope
The author wrote the treatise to address the modern exploitation of digital technologies for terrorism and corruption, evaluating information technology transactions and cyber warfare under the principles of Islamic law derived from the Quran and the Sunnah. Drawing upon institutional definitions—including those from the 1998 Arab Convention on Combating Terrorism in Cairo, the Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Muslim World League in Mecca, and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in Doha (1423 AH)—the work defines electronic terrorism as any aggression, intimidation, or threat, whether physical or moral, perpetrated via electronic means by states, groups, or individuals against an individual's religion, life, honor, intellect, or property without right.
Structure and Content
The book is arranged into an introduction, a preparatory chapter (tamhid), three main chapters (mabahith), and a conclusion:
- Preparatory Chapter (al-Tamhid): Defines cyberterrorism and examines its perils, noting that its danger lies in the ease with which a perpetrator can execute attacks from home, an office, or remote locations, causing severe disruption to individuals, financial institutions, and state infrastructure.
- Chapter 1: Means of Electronic Terrorism (Wasaʾil al-Irhab al-Ilaktruni): Covers three primary tools: email communications, the creation of websites, and the destruction of websites. The author details how terrorists exploit email for coordination and planning operations, and how illicit email interception violates personal privacy and constitutes forbidden espionage (tajassus). It also covers websites used for extremist indoctrination and bomb-making instructions, as well as unauthorized cyber intrusions aimed at sabotaging systems, classifying website destruction under the Islamic legal category of property damage (itlaf), which incurs compulsory financial restitution (daman).
- Chapter 2: Methods of Combating Electronic Terrorism (Turuq Mukafahat al-Irhab al-Ilaktruni): Explores technical and regulatory countermeasures, including Internet filtering and the blocking of websites promoting extremism and violence, electronic transaction regulations, and cybersecurity protection frameworks.
- Chapter 3: Countermeasures and Confrontation Efforts (Juhud al-Tasaddi li-l-Irhab al-Ilaktruni): Highlights domestic and global efforts, detailing the legal frameworks, decrees, and specialized training programs implemented in Saudi Arabia, alongside international conventions and statutory penalties enacted to combat cybercrime.
Answer updated