Imam in the dock for glorifying Hezbollah

Saudi Gazette report DAMMAM — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance will follow up on the case of a imam in Al-Ahsa who attacked the Kingdom and glorified Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah in his sermon on Friday. According to local daily Al-Watan on Monday, Hassan Al-Radi, the imam, attacked the Kingdom in the Friday sermon which was widely circulated on the social media. He delivered the sermon in Al-Rasoul mosque in Al-Omran town in Al-Ahsa. The imam has earlier criticized capital punishments which were recently carried out against 47 terrorists including the Shiite leader Nimir Al-Nimir. He also condemned the Decisive Storm operations against the Houthis and the forces of the defunct president Ali Abdullah Saleh without mentioning the involvement of Iran in the ongoing incidents in Yemen. Radi poured praise on Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the Kingdom, Gulf countries and the Arab League. The Interior Ministry has warned all against supporting or sympathizing with Hezbollah describing it as punishable crime. Abdullah Al-Modlaj, director of the office of the Minister of Islamic Affairs for programs and events, said although they did not receive any formal complaint against the imam so far they are investigating the matter after the sermon went viral on the Internet. “The ministry will strictly apply the rules against any violating mosque imam especially when these violations concern the security of the country,” he said. Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Askar, an adviser at the ministry, said when the content of the video clip are ascertained, necessary actions will immediately be taken. He, however, said the ministry is not directly responsible for the actions of the imams which is the responsibility of the governorates. “It is the goevrnorates which are directly responsible for the imams and the contents of the sermons they deliver,” he explained.