Imam under scanner for Eid revelry

Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance has summoned an imam of a mosque in Jeddah for questioning following the spread of a video clip on the social media showing people hearing songs and dancing in the mosque to celebrate the Eid. Director of the ministry's branch in Makkah province Ali Salem Al-Abdali said songs and dances in the mosque violate the sanctity of the houses of Allah. He said the Consultative Shariah Committee of the ministry will interrogate the imam and the muezzin on the issue before deciding on the quantum of punishment. The director said the punishment may include sacking from the post if it is proved that the imam and the muezzin were in total knowledge of the incident. Qashmir Al-Qarni, imam of the Basabreen mosque in Al-Hamdaniyah district, where the fiasco allegedly took place, said the residents were merely celebrating the Eid inside the mosque. He denied any knowledge of people dancing inside the mosque and said there was no music and the songs were only religious and national lyrics. "If some people danced inside the mosque, this must have happened without my knowledge or permission," he was quoted as saying by Al-Hayat newspaper.