Mecca chief in Iran swipe over Islam divide
September 14, 2016 21:26
The governor of Saudi Arabia's Mecca region on Wednesday urged Muslim religious leaders to fight sectarianism, an indirect criticism of Shiite Iran.
Prince Khaled al-Faisal was speaking at a news conference to discuss the annual hajj pilgrimage, which ends on Thursday and has added to tensions between Riyadh and Tehran.
"I call on Muslim leaders, whether they are political leaders, ulemas (scholars), or intellectuals, to combat sectarianism," Faisal said.
For the first time in nearly three decades, Iran's 64,000 pilgrims are not attending the hajj in Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia after the two regional rivals failed to agree on security and logistics.
"Combat this sectarian divide between Muslims. Islam is one and only one religion," Faisal said in Mina, a pilgrimage site on the edge of Mecca.
Saudi Arabia is home to Islam's holiest sites, which pilgrims visit during the hajj, and is the seat of Sunni Islam which predominates in the Muslim world.
The kingdom is founded on the teachings of 18th century Sunni preacher Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab, whose ideas have themselves been decried by critics as a driving force behind sectarianism and an inspiration to violent jihadists.
TOP STORIES
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances