Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Fawzan, a Saudi Salafi Islamic scholar ana a member of Human Right Commission accused Shiite of Qatif of leading Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Al-Fawzan said that “known scholars and jihadi leaders in Iraq have reported that they had arrest a leader in Al-Qaeda called "Abu Sahn al-Baghdadi " who has incite to kill Sunnis”. He added that “after investigations, they have discovered that he is a Shiite from Qatif”.
Al-Fawzan said that when "Abu Sahn" knows that he would be killed, he said “I’m proud to kill more than thousand Nassibi (a phrase used to insult Sunnis) with my hands”.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Fawzan lectured on August 20 in a youth forum in Jeddah warning people from ISIS organization where he said that “ISIS aims to occupy the country, describing the organization as an American, Zionist and Safavid which is an indication to Iranian Shiite.
On the other hand, many Saudi intellectuals denounced the accusation state, considering it a sectarian discourse which is the approach of most Salafi scholars in Saudi Arabia.
They demanded the authorities to take punitive measures to reduce sectarian incitement, stressing on the need to enhance national unity in order to face ISIS threats.
Shiites citizens have praised the speech of King Abdullah in which he called all Muslims to unite to face extreme ideology, wishing to apply such approach on the ground.
In the same context, the ex-member of Qatif Council, Saeed Al-Khabaz demanded to condemn a sectarian incitement which leads to destructive consequences especially when stated by a Saudi well-known cleric through a Saudi channel.
Walid Sulais, a human rights activist, demanded to withdrawal the membership of Al-fawzn from Human Right Commission. He said that “Al-Fawzan has violated the tasks of his position”.
Sulais asked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to take punitive action against the channel which broadcasted that lecture as the case with Awatan Channel which has been closed before two years for abusing Ismaili Shia verbally.
Writers and intellectuals condemned the sectarian discourse which incites hatred against other components.
They stressed that fighting radicalism need eliminating its ideology rather than exchanging accusations which increase tension and threaten national unity.
The clip of al-Fawzan in which he accused Shiite of Qatif of being behind the conflicts and clashes in Iraq, raised anger among many people.
On August, 25, Turki Al-Dakhail, a well-known journalist, has published an article in Okaz Newspaper entitled “Distinguish between sects and radicalism” in which he said that “confining extremism on a certain religious group is one of the most dangerous things”.
Al-Dakhail added that “violence can exist in any religion, citing with the conflict between Hindus and Sikhs in the eighties and between Catholics and Protestants before”.
He referred in the article to al-Fawzan’s statement who has accused Saudi Shiite of extremism, ignoring that diversity is the basis of societies and it should be a source of strength rather than division.
Al-Dakhail said that Saudi Sunni and Shiite Sofi and Ismaili are all components of the state.
He criticizes generalization, explaining that the existences of radical groups whether Shiite or Sunnis dos not give us the right to judge the entire sect.
He also criticizes linking between Shiite and Safavid, explaining that such actions will hinder the effort of King Abdullah initiative which calls for dialogue.
Dr. Aziza al-Mana, a well-known professor at King Saud University in Riyadh, published on August, 25 an article in Okaz Newspaper criticizing al-Fawzan’s lecture.
She said that “the aim of the lecture was to a ware people from the dangers of ISIS and other terrorist organizations, but al-Fawzan’s discourse soon turned against Shiite”.
She also denounced the said terrorist as “a Saudi Shiite from Qatif” while others are described as terrorists in general. Al-Mana stressed on preserving national unity and combating hatred discourse.
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