Fatwa

A Fatwa is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist, on a specific issue, usually at the request of an individual or a judge to settle a question where fiqh, "Islamic jurisprudence", is unclear.

how are competing fatwas understood?

External Links on fatwas delivering death threats:

• The Rushdie death threat affair
• Singer Cat Stevens promotes killing Rushdie
• Moderate Muslim proponent receives death threat
• Muslim woman author under Islamic death threat for "blasphemy"
• More on Muslim woman author under Islamic death threat for "blasphemy"
• Former Islamic cleric under death threat for leaving Islam