IMAN Chairman calls on H.M. King Abdullah to confront Saudi hate preachers
Freitag, 29 August 2014
Saudi king warns of terrorism threat to U.S. & Europe
REUTERS
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said terrorism would soon spread to Europe and the United States unless it is quickly dealt with in the Middle East, the Saudi state news agency reported late on Friday.
The king made the statement during a reception for foreign ambassadors held in Jeddah.
"I ask you to convey this message to your leaders... Terrorism at this time is an evil force that must be fought with wisdom and speed," said King Abdullah. "And if neglected I'm sure after a month it will arrive in Europe and a month after that in America."
The world's top oil exporter shares an 800-km (500-mile) border with Iraq, where Islamic State militants and other Sunni Islamist groups have seized towns and cities.
Riyadh has long expressed fears of being targeted by jihadists, including some of its own citizens, who have taken part in conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Earlier this year, it decreed long jail terms for those who travel abroad to fight.
Britain raised its terrorism alert on Friday and Prime Minister David Cameron said Islamic State posed the greatest ever security risk to the country.
Responding to the news, IMAN Chairman, Ribal Al-Assad said:
"Whilst I welcome H.M King Abdullah's recent announcement denouncing extremism abroad and calling on 'justice' to be served for those that chose to travel to Syria and Iraq - I have to reiterate what I have said time and time again - many of those who have incited, and continue to incite, sectarian violence and encourage people to wage 'jihad' abroad are based in Saudi Arabia.
The IMAN Foundation has consistently highlighted a number of hate preachers who have used websites, satellite TV stations and mosques to incite hatred, violence and killing. These must all be shut down and replaced with outlets that promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation.
If H.M. King Abdullah is serious about putting an end to extremism in the region then he must tackle his home grown threat; immediately putting an end to these Islamist preachers and bringing them before the courts to face justice for their actions.
Despite these encouraging words, robust action still remains to be seen on the Saudi front, I call on H.M. King Abdullah to put an end to Saudi hate preachers immediately and work towards a process of reconciliation between all Muslims."
