Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
25 July 2023 | 07:40
1 min read

Picture: Shutterstock

On March 1^st, 2023, Sheikh Emad Al-Mobayed released a video that publicly advised members of the Saudi Kingdom. Sheikh Emad, a former imam at the King Abdulaziz masjid in Dammam, addressed his message to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Minister of entertainment, Turki Al-Faisal.

In the video, Sheikh Emad exhorted the House of Saud to fear Allah in the affairs of the country and to be careful not to erase the Islamic faith. “Rectify the obliteration of the Islamic Aqeedah and replacing the identity of Islam with other identities. This country was built on faith, and it was built on the basis of establishing and applying the religion of Allah. What’s happening today is contrary to what this country was founded on,” Sheikh Emad said.

This caused a stir in the Muslim world, which prompted Al-Mobayed to release a video two days later, saying that the message in his previous video may have been misunderstood by some people. He thanked Allah for the bounties bestowed upon the Saudi nation and said “… I’d like to reaffirm that our nation (Saudi) and its leadership and its people are blessed with plentiful goodness.”

Al-Mobayed then published a post on a Twitter account that is associated with him to allay fears that he had been detained by Saudi authorities. “By the grace of God, I was able to leave the country and reach a safe country, Alhamdulillah.”

In recent years, the Kingdom has undergone a retrogression by lifting bans on music concerts, hosting controversial artists and musicians, and allowing mixed-gender gatherings in entertainment venues such as cinemas.

Source: Middle East Monitor
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