MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA AUGUST 4: OUTRAGE

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KISL PREL SA SCUL
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA AUGUST 4: OUTRAGE
AT LEBANESE SITUATION AND "WAR AGAINST ISLAM" SHAPES
SERMONS IN MECCA AND MEDINA


FROM MECCA: IMAM FOCUSES ON LEBANON, RALLIES MUSLIMS AGAINST
"ENEMIES"


1. Lebanon and the "West's war against Muslims" dominated
the angry sermon of Imam Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sudays at
the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The imam called for a cease-fire
in Lebanon and pleaded for support for the women, children
and old people who have been harmed by the war. In a litany
of complaints and injuries, he declared that the "present era
is full of injustice, falsehood, false accusations and
arrogance." He charged that "the slogans of humanness are
meant to deceive people." The imam then told his listeners
that the "Muslim Ummah is living in a state of misery,
suffering and humiliation. It is passing through one tragedy
to another in a series of wars against Islam and Muslims."
However, he then assured the congregation: "Islam has spread
across the continents and ... will regain its strength
despite all the tragedies and suffering.... Islam cannot be
defeated."


2. Al-Sudays raged: "The weeks of tyranny and massacres
continue arrogantly and impudently in defiance of all
appeals, efforts, and energies. The sinful and rancorous
have repeated the disaster. They pounded the sleeping town
of Qana with incendiary devastating bombs without any sense
of mercy and with brutal force and vengeance, killing women,
children and old people. These bombs (tear) infants and
children to shreds in a brutality the like of which was not
seen before."

WORLD IGNORES MUSLIM PLIGHT


3. Then he complained: "Where is the world order? There
is no trace left of it. None of the decision-makers has made
any move but found excuses for the aggressors. How can
injustice be removed from the world while innocent childhood
is being crushed? How can aggression be removed when the
hated oppressor, who is armed to the teeth, is considered
legitimate defense, and the resistance of the oppressed and
defenseless is deemed forbidden terrorism? It is a barbarity
that one cannot imagine. This will not bring peace nor will
it establish security. On the contrary, it will create more
hatred in the hearts of the affected people. The scenes of
killings and destruction are horrific and will remain in the
records of history and cannot be erased by the passing days
and nights. History will hold aggressors accountable."

AGGRESSION IS DIRECTED AGAINST ALL MUSLIMS


4. The imam charged: "This killing and aggression is
directed at every brave Muslim so as to shame him and hurt
his dignity. It is excessive use of violence and force which
will not achieve peace or accord, but explode the stockpile
of hatreds among the coerced people. They are terrible
scenes of murder, blood, destruction, which will remain in
the memory of History. They will never be wiped out by time."

IMAM CONDEMNS ZIONIST TERRORISM


5. Al-Sudays claimed: "This war is Zionist terrorism and war
crimes by all standards and the perpetrators deserve to be
tried as war criminals." He then demanded that: all "those
who denounce terrorism and are waging a war against it to see
the killing of innocent children and orphans; they should
hear the cries of the orphans and women bereaved of their
children who were hit in their shelters." He then confessed
surprise that "this is allowed to continue and ... that this
is leading to frustration and loss of confidence in the
international community and world's conscience." He asked
the worshipers: "Under what scale is this barbaric war being
waged? Under what law are these savage massacres being
justified? For whose interest is this outrageous aggression
being carried out? For whose sake is this injustice and
reckless tyranny being carried out?" He concluded his
indictment with the cry: "I am calling loudly from the
pulpit of the Grand Mosque and from the Holy Land during the
sacred month for the necessity of an immediate and
unconditional cessation of the aggression, injustice and
tyranny."

ENEMIES OF ISLAM NO LONGER HIDDEN

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6. The imam then said that "the lesson that can be learnt
from our tragedies is that they have exposed the enemies and
have removed the dark masks they were hiding behind,
including the slogans of humanness, peace and democracy." He
next emphasized the "importance of unifying the Muslims'
ranks," (and) called on "the whole world to stand united
against the aggression and tyranny." He admonished Muslims
to: "Hold fast to Allah's Book and the Sunnah of the
prophet...only ...through these will Muslims be able to
restore their pride and achieve victory." Finally, Al-Sudays
declared that "when the Ummah chose peace they did so with
all pride, but they rejected humiliation, subservience and
submission. It rejects with all force all forms of violence,
terrorism and revenge. The Ummah is looking forward to
victory from Allah soon." He then assured the congregation
that "tribulations and catastrophes only strengthen the unity
of the communities and peoples as they rise to support the
wronged and protect them from all terror. It is the duty of
the Ummah to help every Muslim country suffering under
tyranny and occupation."

PRAISE FOR KINGDOM


7. Al-Sudays ended by praising "the Kingdom's government and
people in rising to help the Lebanese people, containing the
crisis and organizing relief campaigns to support them, as
well as the people of Palestine. The Kingdom provides unique
support to the causes of the Muslim Ummah whatever the
critics say."

FROM MEDINA: ALLAH'S LIGHT WILL NOT BE EXTINGUISHED


8. Speaking at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Imam Sheikh
Salah al-Bedair assured his listeners that "however hard the
enemies of Islam try to make the Muslims suffer and fail,
they will not succeed in extinguishing Allah's light." He
noted that in times of hardship, Muslims must engage in
contemplation and look for their shortcomings and remedy
them. He admonished that "whenever the tribulations
increase, Muslims should strengthen their unity and support
and protect their religion and country."

BLAMES TREACHEROUS ZIONISTS


9. Al-Bedair, like his colleague in Mecca, blamed world
Zionism, calling it "the treacherous nation that reneges on
every treaty and cannot be trusted, is unleashing the
cruelest forms of humiliation, intimidation, subjugation and
terrorism in Palestine and Lebanon. They are killing men,
women and children and aim to massacre the Muslims and occupy
their lands." He charged: "Right under the nose of the
world's powers, Zionism is committing all forms of terrorism
in defiance of all the international treaties and
agreements." Then he asked the worshipers: "Who will stop
this terrorism? Where is the scale of justice and fairness
that people are claiming? How can any Muslim live a peaceful
life or be happy when his Muslim brethren are being killed or
injured or their women widowed or their men folk losing their
near and dear ones and taken prisoner? The injustice has
reached its peak."

NO REPORT FROM EASTERN PROVINCE


10. No report was received from the Eastern Province this
week.
Gfoeller