BeyondHeadlines News Desk
In a surprising but expected statement, Imam and head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais has issued a statement supporting Saudi government’s decision to declare Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
In his statement, the Imam has said “decision of interior ministry is in accordance of the Royal guidance which gives a right picture of Saudi Arabia. Some Saudi youth are exploited by external agenda and their organizations that are bringing them to the wells of confrontation and sites of Fitnah on baseless claims.” Sudais has called this a decision of a loving father and guardian for his sons and people to give them an opportunity to return to the rightful way. In his statement, Imam of Ka’aba has prayed for wellbeing of Saudi King Abdullah ben Abdul Aziz.
His statement has significance in the context of increasing unease within Saudi society on Saudi Arabia’s consistent support to military coup and massacres in Egypt and jail and torture of Islamic scholars and leaders by Egyptian military. In August 2013, after 1000 Egyptians were massacred in a Rab’a’a Square, 56 Saudi scholars had issued a statement condemning military coup.
Among these scholars were Mohammad Naser Al Suhaibani, Ali Bin Saeid Al Ghamdi, Abdul Aziz bin Abdel Mohsen Al Turki, Hasan Bin Saleh AlHameed, Mohammad Bin Abdel Aziz Al Khodari, Mohammad Bin Sulaiman Al Barak and Abdel Aziz Mohammad Al Fouzan. Saudi Arabia’s Salfi scholars are also deeply divided on the issue and many Salfi scholars have openly condemned Egyptian military and Egypt’s Salafi party’s support to the military coup.
Imam Sudais who had visited India two years ago, had appreciated Islamic parties and their thinkers including Muslim Brotherhood and Jamat Islami. But in current political scenario, Saudi scholars were caught in a tension between Saudi Arabia and Muslim Brotherhood over Saudi support to military dictatorship and its support to Israel. Close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel has worried Iran which has sought rapprochement with Muslim brotherhood and Qatar.
