Riyadh Sacks 100 Clerics for Not Condemning ‘Muslim Brotherhood’
According to a report by Middle East Monitor, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance had issued instructions for all imams and preachers to criticize the group and blame it for causing differences and divisions within society.
The ministry had ordered preachers to dedicate the Friday sermon to support the recent statement by the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars in which the council described the group as a “terrorist” organization that does not represent Islam’s true teachings but rather serves its partisan interests.
Accordingly, mosque preachers across Saudi Arabia were issued diktats last month to issue sermons in warning the faithful against the dangers posed by the banned outfit.
However, it is alleged that the preachers from Mecca and Al-Qassim neglected the Saudi government diktat and did not issue any sermons criticizing the Brotherhood.
Following that, the General Department of Islamic Affairs requested the ministry to terminate the service of more than 100 preachers after a two-week process of the headcount of preachers.
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 in Egypt and initially used violence in an effort to push for society to be governed by Islamic law. The organization renounced violence in 1970s and largely turned toward democratic efforts.
