16 March 2009

JEDDAH: Interior Minister Prince Naif stated yesterday that the arrest of people involved in violence near the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah last month was not aimed at any particular sect.

“It is not a matter of targeting Shiites or others as much as it is a matter of dealing with anyone who breaks the law or tries to cause offense in the country, especially in the Two Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah,” he said.

The minister said the authorities would not allow anybody to violate the country’s law. “What took place at Baqie Graveyard in Madinah has been exaggerated by certain quarters that want to cause harm to the Kingdom,” Prince Naif was quoted as saying by the Saudi Press Agency.

The Interior Ministry said that nine people were arrested following the violence. They were released recently as a result of an amnesty granted by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. “Those arrested included both Shiites and Sunnis ... We reject clashes based on madahib (schools of religious thought) in our country,” Prince Naif said.

“Citizens have both rights and duties; their activities should not contradict the doctrine followed by the Ummah. It is the doctrine of Sunnis and our righteous forefathers. There are citizens who follow other schools of thought and the intelligent among them must respect this doctrine,” he said.

He denied reports in foreign media that only Shiites were arrested following the Baqie episode. “The number of Sunnis arrested in the incident were no fewer than the number of Shiites. The arrests took place when people denigrated the dead, especially the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon them) including his relatives,” he said.

The incident involved people removing sand from tombs of the Prophet’s companions. “Such acts will not be allowed, whoever commits them. We will deal with such acts firmly with full force.” He said the number of Shiites in the Kingdom, when compared to Sunnis, was very small.

Prince Naif, who is in New York with Crown Prince Sultan, said foreign parties were deliberately attempting to escalate things. “God willing, we are capable of preventing these things, depending on God and our national resources,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia would not allow anybody to interfere in its internal matters.

He reassured Saudi citizens about the health of Prince Sultan. “The crown prince is in good condition and in good health. He will soon leave hospital after the completion of some minor procedures.”

Speaking about the Cabinet and judicial reshuffle last month, Prince Naif said it was aimed at protecting public interest. During the reshuffle a woman was appointed deputy minister for the first time in the Kingdom’s history.

Prince Naif said Saudi Arabia had won world applause for its successful campaign to root out terrorism. “The Kingdom is in the forefront of countries that are capable of challenging terrorism and defeating its plots. Many foreign delegations have visited the Kingdom to learn from our experience in fighting terror,” the minister said, adding that Saudi Arabia was not receiving any foreign assistance in order to confront terrorists. Many militants have abandoned their deviant ways after attending counseling programs.