Iman Chairman welcomes marginalisation of hardliner Sheikh Saleh Al Luhaidan
Jueves, 13 Octubre 2011
Ribal Al-Assad, the Chairman of the Iman Foundation has welcomed Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud's reforms in granting women the right to vote in Municipal elections, the right to join the Consultative Shoura Council and the revocation of the 10 lashes sentence, which was given to a women who was caught driving. This effectively marginalises hard line clerics such as Sheikh Saleh Al Luhaidan, who is a roadblock to reforms and has previously called for the killing of minority Muslim sects and 'infidels'.
Al Luhaidan said in broadcast remarks that he was not consulted about the king’s decision to grant more rights to women. Although he didn’t directly criticize King Abdullah, Reuters reports that he alluded to an Arabic proverb warning that “the thread between a leader and his people” will snap if it is pulled too hard.
Commenting on the marginalisation of Sheikh Al Luhaidan, Ribal, said:
"I am delighted that His Majesty King Abdullah has taken such great steps towards reform and marginalised hardliners such as Sheikh Luhaidan. This is an important and necessary step against those who advocate extremism and murder in the name of religion."
