Manama: The UAE reiterated its full support for all deterrent measures taken by Saudi Arabia to counter terrorism and extremism. Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, said the measures taken by Saudi Arabia are a clear message against terrorism and all those who instigate strife, division and unrest with an aim to undermine unity and threaten social peace in the country.
The move also demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s firm determination to press ahead with efforts that aim to defuse and uproot terrorism and deter whoever attempts to instigate unrest or tamper with security and stability in the Kingdom, Shaikh Abdullah said.
He added that the execution of court rulings against the convicted persons is Saudi Arabia’s fundamental right, especially after that those persons were proven guilty of carrying out terrorist acts by evidence and proofs. ”What Saudi Arabia did is a necessary action to consolidate the security and safety of the Saudi people and expatriate residents,” Shaikh Abdullah said.
His comments come after the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars said the executions were an enforcement of the Sharia laws regarding the protection of the nation from sedition, strife and aggression.
In a statement issued a short time after the executions were announced by the interior ministry, the Council said they were based on the verdicts that had been endorsed through all legal stages.
“God Almighty has blessed Saudi Arabia by making its laws based on the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (Traditions and Sayings) of His Messenger, (peace be upon him), and its judiciary based on the Islamic law,” the Council said.
“The judges are independent and the only authority above them is the provisions of the Islamic Sharia and the regulations in force. No one can interfere in the judiciary. Stability and prosperity in Saudi Arabia are the result of the application of God’s laws.”
The execution of the convicts is an application of the Shariah laws, the statement said.
“The application of the law reinforces stability and security and protects the achievements of Saudi Arabia. It also helps protect Saudi citizens, residents and visitors from possible attacks by anyone planning to perpetrate antagonistic crimes that undermine public order and security,” the Council said.
In a separate statement, the Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Al Shaikh said that the execution of the 47 convicts was based on the Holy Quran and on the Sunnah of His Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Islam as a religion has called for the stability and security of the nation and for the protection of the possessions and lives of people, the Mufti told Saudi Television.
“The application of the laws means protecting people, serving their interests, shielding them from evil and from chaos,” he said. “There is not the slightest doubt about the Shariah laws and they are applied on all people without any discrimination. They are just, fair and achieve stability and security,” he said.
He added that the convicts had perpetrated a series of crimes that included assassination, placing bombs, eroding stability undermining security and frightening people, Saudi news site Sabq reported.
“It is the duty of the people in charge of the state to ensure stability and security, to defend the nation, to spread justice and to deter criminals. Everyone should cooperate and work with the officials in applying God’s laws,” he said.
