EP Shiite scholars plead with terrorists to give up arms

Saudi Shiites gather during an occasion in the coastal town of Qatif, Eastern Province, in this file photo. (AFP)

JEDDAH: A group of Shiite scholars in the Eastern Province has condemned recent attacks on the Kingdom’s security officers and citizens. In a statement, eight senior clerics expressed concern over the violent incidents in Awwamiyah, condemning terrorism and the use of weapons.
They demanded terrorists put down their weapons and surrender.
They said the use of violence is neither legal nor is it a feasible way to solve problems. Terrorism only complicates matters, undermines stability and threatens the interests of the country and its people, they added.
They emphasized that the country’s security and governance are the responsibility of the state, and called on young people to abandon violence and resort to peace and dialogue to demand their rights.
These officials do what they deem right to run the affairs of citizens, especially the people of Awwamiyah, who are the center of attention in the development of Al-Masurah neighborhood, which commenced after homeowners were duly compensated.
The scholars emphasized the importance of communication between authorities and the Awwamiyah residents in order to solve problems as the state is committed to taking care of citizens’ interests.
They appealed to leading figures of the town to play an active role in finding solutions to people’s problems there.
They said in the statement: “We condemn the mobilization of the sectarian media by certain social networking sites,” asserting that the anti-cybercrime law will be strictly implemented against whoever exploits the events for sectarian gains.
The statement expressed the views of eight scholars of the Eastern Province — Sheikh Abdullah Al-Khunaizi, Ali Al-Nasser, Sheikh Mansour Al-Salman, Sheikh Hassan Al-Saffar, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Hebail, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Mahdi, Sheikh Ghaleb Al-Hammad, and Sheikh Hassan Al-Khuwaildi.