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Iraq and Saudi Arabia agree to monitor fatwas
Iraq and Saudi Arabia have agreed to monitor sectarian fatwas from clerics that could inflame violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Iraqs national security chief was quoted as saying on Sunday. Iraq has long complained that fellow Arab countries are not doing enough to help end sectarian violence there a complaint backed by Washington. Sunni Muslim insurgents fighting the US-backed Iraqi government and US forces regularly attack Shiite targets. Some of the insurgents have been Saudis whose Al Qaeda-based radical Sunni ideology despises Shiites. In turn Shiite militias attack Sunni targets. We emphasised monitoring fatwas that support this element...and give religious justification for their acts, Mowaffak Al-Rubaie told Okaz newspaper, citing agreements signed in meetings in Saudi Arabia last week with Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz. Saudi authorities fear Saudi militants fighting in Iraq could return to fight the US-allied monarchy, which has been fighting its own insurgency since 2003. Rubaie said Iraqi courts had passed sentences against 160 Saudis since 2003. He said hundreds were awaiting trial. We learned that a great number of those who have been duped [into fighting] in Iraq are Saudis, who entered from a certain neighbouring country, Rubaie said. When they train in Iraq, they could return to the kingdom...and threaten civilians.Posted by: Fred 2007-07-16 |
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