Riyadh criticizes statement of 26 scholars on Iraq

The Saudi ambassador in London prince Turkey al-Faisal yesterday criticized the statement made by the 26th Saudi scholars in which it called for supporting " Jihad" in Iraq, noting that its signatories do not represent the great majority of the Saudi people.

Al-Faisal said in the first Saudi reaction to the statement of the scholars that "those 26th men do not represent the majority of the Arab Saudi people or the government or the higher scholars council who repeatedly deplored terrorism in Iraq and in various parts of the world." He added " they are a few minority that issued this statement in a flagrant violations of the official statement which call for peace and stability in the region, which called the Iraqi people to unify behind their government."

The ambassador quoted the Saudi foreign minister as saying that "No to legitimacy of the Jihad in Iraq " and that the real meaning of Jihad in this country is reflected in helping the Iraqis building their secure and peaceful state. He added that the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz condemned others who encourage going to Iraq, noting that this represents a support for terrorism and inhuman violence addressed against all religious affiliation. Al-Faisal indicated that the 26th scholar statement was criticized in the Saudi media by senior commentators and men of religion.

The Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi also criticized the statement of the 26th scholars and questioned in reply to questions put by journalists in Baghdad "Has the killing of innocents become resistance?" He added "those misled are killing the innocents in Saudi Arabia and they also kill the people in Iraq.. Why are they issuing Fatwa at our own expense?"