Arabs from across all ideological stripes are denouncing comments made by two Saudi clerics saying that it was OK to kill the owners of satellite TV stations that show "immoral" content like "Sex and the City" – and even to kill Mickey Mouse.

The Associated Press reports that many Arabs are worried that the recent comments by Sheik Saleh al-Lihedan — chief of the kingdom’s highest tribunal, the Supreme Judiciary Council — would fuel terrorism and encourage attacks on TV station employees and owners.

When al-Lihedan was answering questions from callers to the daily "Light in the Path" religious program on Saudi state radio two weeks ago, one caller asked about Islam’s view of the owners of satellite TV channels that show "bad programs" during the holy month of Ramadan.

Al-Lihedan said: "I want to advise the owners of these channels, who broadcast calls for such indecency and impudence … and I warn them of the consequences … Those calling for corrupt beliefs, certainly it’s permissible to kill them."

Even conservative clerics who oppose the "indecent" programs shown on Arab satellite TV say al-Lihedan went too far.

"Our religion prevents Muslims from watching films that provide seduction, obscenity and vulgarity," Sheik Hazim Awad, an Iraqi cleric, who, like al-Lihedan, is Sunni Muslim, told the AP. But "the real Muslim can just cancel (subscriptions to) these channels," he said.

On Tuesday, another Saudi cleric, Sheik Mohammed Munajjid, told a religious website that the cartoon character Mickey Mouse should be killed because under Islamic law, rats and mice are considered "repulsive" and to be "soldiers of Satan."

"For children they’ve become something great and beloved. Like this Mickey Mouse, who is seen as a great figure, even though under Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed," said Munajjid.