Tehran’s irresponsible behavior denounced

JEDDAH: The Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Kingdom and handed him a strongly worded protest letter following Tehran’s statements against the Kingdom over the executions of 47 convicted terrorists.
The ministry termed Iranian statements “clear interference in the domestic affairs of the Kingdom.” The ministry also called on Iran to take full responsibility of protecting the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the Saudi Consulate in Mashhad and provide full protection to the Saudi diplomatic staff in accordance with international diplomatic conventions.
Meanwhile, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh said on Saturday that the executions were based on the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. “It was required for integrity and stability, and in defense of peace, properties, sanctities and minds,” he said in a statement to Saudi television channel.
“This (execution) has served one of the several objectives for which Islam has come. These objectives include religion, life, sanctity, mind and wealth,” he said. The grand mufti said that implementation of the guidelines of Islam was necessary for the prevention of the mischief and chaos in their ranks.
He said there is no ambiguity in the Shariah. “Allah does not distinguish one from another. It is for everybody ... there is justice, fairness, end of injustice and security.”
He said the Kingdom was founded on the principles of Qur’an and Sunnah as was intended by Mohammad bin Saud and Mohammad bin Abdul Wahab. “Our judiciary is Shariah judiciary and nobody has authority over this — neither the supreme council nor appeal or any public commission. All courts are Shariah courts governed by justice, in which nobody ever has supremacy.

It implements its orders in the light of the Holy Qur’an and Prophetic traditions.” He said peace and stability, defense of the community, deterrence against those who do injustice and establishing justice are the responsibility of the rulers. He urged people to fear Allah and cooperate with the rulers in implementing the orders of the Almighty.
Echoing the grand mufti’s views, Abdullah bin Mohammad Al-Mitaq, member of the board of scholars and the permanent committee of Ifta and adviser in the Royal Court, said the executions of the 47 people from the deviated segment were implementation of the rules of Allah against those who create disturbances on earth and destroyed what Allah wanted to build and spoil what Allah wanted to set up.
This is deterrence against those who create trouble on earth and work to spread it, he was quoted as saying by SPA.
Sheikh Salman bin Mohammad Al Nashwan, secretary general and spokesman of the Supreme Judicial Council, said the convicts were given the right to defend themselves in an open and fair trial. Their cases passed through all stages of judicial process, he said.
“They were provided defense lawyers. And those who could not, the state provided them with lawyers to defend themselves. They were given all legal guarantees,” said Al-Nashwan.
He said that some of these cases continued for more than 10 years and passed through all the phases and processes of judiciary in appeal and supreme courts where they had been given the right to object to these orders according to the system.
Al-Nashwan said everybody should stand behind the leaders of the country and unite to fight against terrorism, which has put “all of us to test.”