S Arabia appoints Sheikh Saleh as kingdom's new grand mufti

DUBAI, Oct 23 (AP): Saudi Arabia appointed a prominent ultraconservative scholar late Wednesday as the country's new grand mufti, the kingdom's top religious scholar.

Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, 90, took over the position, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The decision came from King Salman, based on the recommendation of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the report added.

Sheikh Saleh, reportedly born Sept. 28, 1935, in Saudi Arabia's al-Qassim province, studied the Quran with a local imam after his father's death. He became a prominent scholar, speaking to the faithful via the "Noor ala al-Darb," or "Light the Way," radio show and via multiple books he's authored and his television appearances. His fatwas, or religious orders, have been shared via social media as well.