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Saudi Imam jailed; to be given lashes for issuing death threat
Dubai,
Dec
31:
In
a
significant
ruling,
a
Saudi
imam
has
been
jailed
in
Riyadh
for
issuing
death
threat
to
an
official
for
suspending
him
on
charges
of
using
anti-Western
slogans
in
his
sermons.
The
Kingdom's
Cassation
Court
(appeals
court)
will
now
hear
the
case
of
the
imam
who
has
been
jailed
by
a
court
in
Hail.
The
imam
allegedly
threatened
to
kill
the
head
of
the
branch
of
the
Ministry
of
Islamic
Affairs
in
Hail.
The ministry asked the imam several times to refrain from using political slogans but the imam was adamant and refused to obey. He was then summoned to the ministry and removed from his position.The Arab News reported that the imam ''kept arguing with the judge that it was legitimate in Islam to pray against the governments of certain Western countries.'' The source continued: ''When the judge asked him whether he was the sender of the death threats, he confessed and did not deny it.'' The judge then sentenced the imam to seven months in prison and 150 lashes.
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Prince Naif said some mosques in the Kingdom were being used to send messages which violated their main purpose. The prince also said some imams and khateebs (preachers) were not doing enough to discourage militancy among Saudi youth, including discouraging young Saudis from going to Iraq to fight alongside insurgents.
UNI
