|
Iran urges Saudi Arabia to net extremists
Iran has urged Saudi Arabia to crack down on religious extremism following reports of anti-Shiite sermons by Saudi preachers, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.It said Irans ambassador to Riyadh Mohammad Hosseini asked the head of Saudis advisory Shura Council to ensure Iranian pilgrims travelling during the holy month of Ramazan were not the victims of insults. He requested a crackdown on ignorant, deviant people in the holy mosques at Islams two holiest sites in the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, IRNA said. The report said Hosseini asked the councils head Sheikh Saleh Bin Humaid to take necessary measures to prevent any kind of insult to the Iranian pilgrims. Large numbers of Iranians are expected to make the Umrah to Mecca and Medina during Ramazan. But in recent months, Shiite Iran has expressed concern over unconfirmed reports that extremist Sunni clerics in Saudi have been issuing anti-Shiite sermons and pamphlets. The Foreign Ministry said last month Iran was probing complaints that a prayer leader in Mecca verbally attacked Shiite Muslims and implied they had nothing to do with Islam. The region is going through a fragile and sensitive time which could lead the Islamic nation to deep division, Ambassador Hosseini was quoted as warning the Saudi official in the meeting. Shiite majority Iran and Sunni majority Saudi Arabia have worked hard in recent years on improving relations. Saudi Arabia also has a substantial Shiite minority in its oil-rich Eastern province. Posted by: Fred 2007-09-10 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=198538 |