Manama: Saudi authorities are investigating the case of 17 Friday preachers who failed in their sermons to condemn the militant attack on a Saudi-Yemeni border crossing 10 days ago.
The Islamic affairs, endowment and guidance ministry had asked all preachers to denounce the attacks in their Friday sermons as part of a nation-wide campaign to raise public awareness against terrorism and fanaticism.
However, preachers in 17 mosques, all in the Saudi capital Riyadh, ignored the directives and did not censure the attack by Al Qaida, local daily Al Watan reported on Monday, citing the ministry undersecretary Tawfiq Al Sidiri.
“The figure is not at all significant compared with the high number of imams who clearly condemned the terrorist attack,” Al Sidiri said. “The response of the religious men was overwhelmingly positive throughout the kingdom and criminalised the attacks and highlighted the real objectives of the terrorists,” he said.
The ministry has reportedly monitored all the sermons to ensure that acts of terrorism are condemned and criminalised by the preachers whose religious stature adds value to the arguments against terrorism.
Muslim adults are required to congregate on Friday at mosques for prayers and for the sermon by imams.
The interior ministry last week said that six militants attacked the Wadia border post with Yemen in the south of the Kingdom on July 4, killing five security officers on both sides.
Five of the gunmen were killed in the confrontation with security forces, including two who blew themselves up inside a building, while a sixth was wounded and arrested.
The ministry named the terrorists and said they were all wanted Saudis who were identified through DNA tests.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ministry said that four of the terrorists had spent time in jail.
