Riyadh: The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaikh Abdul Aziz Alu Al Shaikh, who is also head of the Senior Scholars Commission, lambasted the pro-Gaza protests held in several Arab and Muslim countries last Friday calling it a nonsense.
"These are nonsense and do no good to anybody," he said in remarks published on Saturday. "The mob does not bring any good, and there is no benefit out of it.
"It is pure nonsense," he said, adding that such useless acts should be replaced by donations to the Palestinians.
"Paying money and sending aid are beneficial, but demonstrations are ... useless mob and noise," he said.
Inviting Hamas leaders to the righteous way, Shaikh Alu Al Shaikh called on them to respond positively to true voices uttered.
The Grand Mufti lauded the fundraising campaign, launched by King Abdullah and that is named after him, to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians, who are victims of blatant aggression and a crippling blockade imposed by Israel.
"This blessed campaign is the right Islamic work before everything else," he said and urged both Saudis and expatriates to "give what they can to help their Palestinian brothers."
The remarks from the top religious figure in the Kingdom came one week after a similar controversial statement made by another senior figure, Shaikh Saleh Al Laheidan, head of the Supreme Judiciary Council.
He said such protest rallies are corrupt practices that serve only to create anarchy on the earth. "These are destructive acts that prevent people from remembering Allah," he said.
