Cairo, Egypt - A top Saudi Sunni cleric whose ideas inspired Osama bin Laden issued a religious edict Saturday disavowing the Shiite guerrilla group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, which translates as "the party of God," is actually "the party of the devil," said Sheik Safar al-Hawali.
"Don't pray for Hezbollah," he said in the fatwa posted on his Web site.
The edict reflects the historical stand of strict Wahhabi doctrine viewing Shiite Muslims as heretics, and follows a similar fatwa from another popular Saudi cleric, Sheik Abdullah bin Jibreen, not to support Hezbollah.
But across the Arab world, other leaders have implored Muslims to put aside differences to support the fight against Israel. And there have been daily demonstrations in support of Hezbollah around the region, including in predominantly Sunni and generally pro-Western countries such as Jordan.