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Saudi Arabia has yet to confirm or deny the reports of Sheikh Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al Talib, Imam and Preacher of the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah, being detained by authorities.
On Sunday, the social media advocacy group Prisoners of Conscience, which monitors and documents arrests of Saudi preachers and religious scholars, had stated that Sheikh Saleh was arrested after he delivered a sermon on the duty in Islam to speak out against evil in public.
According to Al Jazeera's report published on Wednesday, Arabic news website Khaleej Online reported that in his sermon, Sheikh Saleh "derided the mixing of unrelated men and women at concerts and other mixed entertainment events".
Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an interview to CBS News in July, had said: “We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a work place. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the Prophet (pbuh)."
Hours after his reported arrest, Al Jazeera added, both of Sheikh Saleh's Engish and Arabic Twitter accounts were deactivated.
Yahya Assiri, a UK-based Saudi human rights activist, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that the kingdom's "authorities are looking at everyone that's influential and has a presence on the scene".
On Wednesday, human rights groups had said that Saudi prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for five human rights activists, including, for the first time, a woman.
The five stand accused of inciting mass protests in mainly Shiite areas of the Sunni-ruled kingdom's oil-rich Eastern Province. Human rights groups said that the execution threat is a calculated bid to stifle dissent.
The Saudi government, however, has not confirmed that the activists face the death penalty.
Comments (23) Closed
What a shame. Someone can be arrested for reading just a Hadith.
If the captain is steering his ship in one direction and you are paddeling in the opposite direction then you don’t need to be on the same ship.
It is not that simple my dear Prince to change. I can just wish you all the best though I know that there is nothing best ahead.
Well done KSA. Jail is the right full place for these bigots.
Saudi on one side opening to world for cinema etc but curtailing human rights through dictatorship
Shame on Ale Saud
alas!!!
no protest by JI? please?
SA on right path
Silence itself tells everything.
Sad news
The crown prince is right. It is ridiculous to segregate the sexes in public places in the 21 century.
Imam remarks were not appropriate but that does not justify his detention. Crown prince should develop tolerance for others view.
These episode will prompt beginning of end of Saud dynasty.
Sorry I don’t care. We need to be laser focused on our own issues in Pakistan. Previous governments have put the country in a hole and we need to work hard to get the country out of this deep hole we are in.
It is not the silence of Saudi gov that is worrying; but the deafening ignorance of the world.
There is a strong need for a reformation movement. I hope this continues until all extremists are brought to justice.
Supposing Saudis were to run Pakistan for a while; ample job opportunities for the executioners guaranteed
Very shame
Shameful act.
MBS is gradually turning into his idol Trump
The beginning of the end is near!
@Sameer they made an example out of Canada recently. This is not the first human right violation or arrest of a religious or human rights figure. The world has always been silent because it needs their oil.