Shell invests in Mina West gas development in Egyptian Mediterranean Sea    Egypt's FM highlights 'soft power' in Mali meeting with alumni    Egypt's foreign minister opens business forum in Niger, targets new partnerships    Egypt's FM delivers Al-Sisi message to Niger's leader, seeks deeper security ties    Rafah Crossing 'never been closed for one day' from Egypt: PM    Egypt will keep pushing for Gaza peace, aid: PM    Remittances from Egyptians abroad surge 70% YoY in July–May: CBE    Sudan's ambassador to Egypt holds reconstruction talks on with Arab League    Egypt's current account gap narrows, but overall BoP records deficit    Al-Sisi urges accelerated oil, gas discoveries, lower import bill    Egypt hosts international neurosurgery conference to drive medical innovation    Egypt's EDA discusses Johnson & Johnson's plans to expand investment in local pharmaceutical sector    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi calls for boosting oil & gas investment to ease import burden    EGX to close Thursday for July 23 Revolution holiday    Egypt, Senegal sign pharma MoU to unify regulatory standards    Egyptian Drug Authority discusses plans for joint pharmaceutical plant in Zambia    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt foils terrorist plot, kills two militants linked to Hasm group    Giza Pyramids' interior lighting updated with new LED system    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



At haj, Saudi Arabia clerics step up anti-Islamic State drive
Published in Ahram Online on 04 - 10 - 2014

Taking aim at Islamic State, Saudi Arabia has mounted a battle for hearts and minds at this year's haj, warning pilgrims that the hardline group is "evil" and seeking to recruit their children to fight in Iraq and Syria.
As millions of pilgrims visited the holiest sites in Islam on the second day of the annual pilgrimage on Saturday, global leaders condemned the fourth beheading of a Westerner by Islamic State insurgents.
Saudi Arabia declared Islamic State a terrorist organisation in March and sharply stepped up denunciations of the group after its fighters made rapid territorial gains in Iraq in June.
US-led air strikes on the group has allowed some of the lost territory to be recaptured, but the well-armed militants continue to make gains in Iraq and Syria. Last week, Saudi air force planes pounded militant targets in Syria.
The group's radical Sunni Islamist ideology is gaining traction elsewhere in the Muslim world: A group in Algeria pledged allegiance before killing a French hostage last month, and Pakistani Taliban also declared their support on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia follows the ultra conservative Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam, which disdains Shi'ites as heretics and demands a strict literal interpretation of Sharia Muslim law.
Although Islamic State, like al Qaeda, draws some of its ideology from the Wahhabi school, it rejects the legitimacy of the Saudi government and has vowed to topple the ruling Al Saud dynasty.
Riyadh also fears that thousands of Saudis who have gone to fight with Islamic State will return to target their own country.
"Your religion is targeted. Your security, ideology, strength and intellect are all targeted," the kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh preached to the vast crowds of pilgrims in Mecca on Friday.
About three million Muslims, among them 1.4 million from abroad, are expected to perform haj this year.
"The enemies of Islam are making preparations against you, so be wary of them," the Grand Mufti said in his sermon at mount Arafat's Nimara mosque.
Deviant thoughts
Sheikh Abdallah bin Ali Basfar, a religious lecturer who is involved in the kingdom's "awareness" campaign, said the Ministry of Islamic Affairs had instructed preachers to denounce Islamic State as a "terrorist organisation" in their sermons and teachings.
"We have a job to warn people against the evil these groups present and how they use concepts in Islam like jihad as a cover for their unjust causes," Basfar said.
"There are 70,000 sheikhs and preachers in Saudi Arabia who have an incredible amount of influence on people. That's why we are concentrating our efforts to fight these deviant thoughts, especially during haj," he said.
The campaign also includes the distribution of religious material representing what the government believes to be more moderate views of Islam, as well as broadcasting more religious programmes on radio and television to spread these views.
In addition, preachers have also been warning parents to monitor the actions of their children.
"These evil groups prey on our youth through mediums like the Internet and parents must start to know what their children are doing and who they talk to," Basfar said.
'We believe our sheiks'
As the second day of the journey began on Saturday, security forces in Mina, the site just east of Mecca where pilgrims symbolically stone the devil, remained on high alert.
For the most part, Saudi pilgrims seemed to agree with the campaign.
"The Mufti in Nimira told us today that they (Islamic State) don't represent Islam and Islam is innocent of them," Raaed al-Khozai, a Saudi government employee, told Reuters.
"We follow our preachers and we follow the Saudi government which opposes them and we believe our sheikhs."
Religious leaders in the kingdom who have expressed sympathy for Islamic State fighters had been identified to the authorities, Basfar said. Some were peddling a theory that the group was formed by the West to weaken the Muslim world.
"Even if some think this theory is true, that's not an excuse not to fight these extremists," Basfar said.
"Muslims are the only ones that could defeat them. Islamic State in the end is an idea, that can only be fought with another idea."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/112378.aspx


Clic here to read the story from its source.