A Saudi Arabian cleric has declared that Mickey Mouse, that endearing character immortalised by Disney, should die since under Islamic law the mouse is one of 'Satan's soldiers', reports The Telegraph, London [Images].

Sheikh Muhammad Munajid, a former diplomat at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, DC, made this observation while making a presentation on mice during a television programme on Islam's teachings.

A translation of his observations on the Arabic language al-Majid TV, prepared by the Middle East Research Institute, quotes the cleric as having said, 'According to Islamic law the mouse is a repulsive, corrupting creative. How do you think children view mice today � after watching Tom and Jerry?'

'If a mouse falls into a pot of food -- if the food is solid you should chuck out the mouse and the food touching it, and if it is liquid you should chuck out the whole thing since the mouse is impure.'

'Even creatures that are repulsive by nature, by logic, and according to Islamic law, have become wonderful and are loved by children. Like mice

'Mickey mouse has become an awesome character, even though according to Islamic law Mickey Mouse should be killed in all cases,' Munajid said.

This is not the first time that the cleric has courted controversy. Only last month he had criticised the Beijing [Images] Olympics [Images] as 'Bikini Olympics' and said nothing made Satan happier than seeing female athletes in skimpy clothes.