RIYADH, Nov 15: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has asked religious leaders to tone down their sermons to avoid embarrassing the government or aggravating anti-Muslim sentiment around the world following the September attacks on the United States.

“I hope you appreciate your responsibility before God, your people and officials, so we do not land in an embarrassing situation... We are a moderate nation and there should be no exaggeration in religion,” Crown Prince Abdullah said in remarks published on Thursday by the English-language Arab News.

“Brothers, you know we are going through difficult days ... Now you are a target for those against Islam,” added Abdullah, who is Saudi Arabia’s day-to-day ruler.

The government has urged official religious scholars to issue statements making clear that the kingdom condemned the attacks.

But some scholars have recently stepped up anti-Western rhetoric in their Friday sermons, criticizing non-Muslims and denouncing supporters of the US-led military strikes on Afghanistan as non-believers.

Several dissident scholars have also said that Muslims should have as little contact as possible with Christians and Jews.

The daily gave a fuller account of Abdullah’s presentation on Wednesday to senior religious and judicial officials than a report issued the same day by the Saudi Press Agency.

Diplomats in Riyadh said the request by Abdullah was significant because the government was acknowledging for the first time its concern about Saudi Arabia’s image abroad as a state that fosters extremism, following the attacks on the United States.

BIG STEP BY GOVERNMENT: “They have been sending this message privately but this is the first time they have done it publicly — it’s a big step,” a Western diplomat in Riyadh said.