DUBAI: A group of Saudi Shiite clerics and intellectuals have criticized remarks by President Hosni Mubarak about the loyalty of Shiite Muslims to their countries, saying they inflame sectarian strife. Mubarak said Shiites in Arab states, in most of which they are outnumbered by Sunni Muslims, were more loyal to Iran than their own countries. His comments, aired on Saturday, came amid worsening conflict between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq. These remarks incite the sectarian spirit among the citizens of Arab nations, especially at this critical time for the Arab and Muslim nations, said a statement signed by 122 members of Saudi Arabia s minority Shiite community. We see no acceptable justification for such remarks, said the statement, made available to Reuters on Monday. In a separate statement, leading Saudi Shiite cleric Hassan Al-Saffar said the primary loyalty of Shiites was to their country, of which they are an integral part. Analysts say Saudi Arabia is concerned about the rising influence of Shiite Iran, and fears tensions between Sunnis and Shiites in neighboring Iraq may spill over to the kingdom. The Gulf Arab state follows an austere school of Sunni Islam and some Saudi Shiites feel they are an oppressed minority. Egypt s presidential spokesman said on Sunday that Mubarak had made the comments out of concern for the worsening situation in Iraq, which is 60 percent Shiite. The Iraqi government has criticized Mubarak s comments, which echo accusations by Iraqi Sunnis about their own Shiite leaders. Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders are struggling to form a unity government, four months after parliamentary elections, as the country slides closer to all-out civil war. Reuters
