CAIRO, October 16 (IslamOnline) - Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Mohammad Sayed Tantawi on Wednesday October 16, branded as a heinous crime the explosions that rocked the Indonesian island of Bali on Saturday October 12.

"The regretted events that took place in the Indonesian island of Bali is a heinous crime from all religious, legal and logical prospective. Those responsible for these events must be pursuit and referred to judicial authorities," Sheikh Tantawi stressed in an interview with IslamOnline.

Aggression on civilians, even if they belong to a foreign country falls within the boundaries of Hirabah," he underlined.

Hirabah in juristic terms is an act of spreading mischief in the land; a crime in Islam for which a severe punishment is specified, without discrimination as to race, color, nationality or religion of the culprit.

"No sane person can approve such an act that involves the killing of innocent people, because it is in this case a form of blatant terrorism," asserted Sheikh Tantawi, who heads the highest religious authority in the Islamic Sunni world.

Meanwhile, the Mecca-based Islamic World League (IWL) condemned on Wednesday October 16, the Bali blasts.

In a statement, IWL Secretary General Abdullah el-Turki said: "The acts of terrorism perpetrated by terrorists in the Indonesian Bali island is a crime impermissible by Islam.

It contradicts with the message embraced by Islam on tolerance, integration and cooperation between peoples and nation, added the statement.