This Video Does Not Depict Saudi Imam Detained for Opposing Crown Prince's Policies
The Claim
He was criticizing the progressive policies of Prince Md Bin Salman.
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Recently, social media users have circulated a video claiming to show a Saudi Arabian imam detained for expressing objections to the progressive policies of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The footage shows a man at a mosque pulpit being forcibly removed.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
Unauthorized Khutbah Delivered at Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
Misbar's team found that the video was captured on March 3, 2018, showing an elderly man suffering from mental health issues, who was not authorized to deliver the sermon, being forcibly removed from the stage as he attempted to give a sermon before Friday prayers. Security personnel, along with congregants, intervened promptly to escort the man off the stage.
In response to the video, Majid Al-Muhammadi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance in the Medina region, clarified that it shows worshippers at a mosque in Yanbu Al-Bahr attempting to remove a man who had ascended the pulpit and refused to step down. The man was subsequently returned to his family for appropriate care and treatment.
Al-Muhammadi explained that the incident occurred at Al-Jabriya Mosque in the region, where a man with mental health disorders climbed the pulpit at 12:35 p.m. and attempted to deliver the Friday Khutbah before the official imam had arrived. He noted that authorities responded to the situation and handled it appropriately. The official imam later arrived, delivered the sermon, and led the congregants in Friday prayers.
Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Actions in Jerusalem and Gaza
Saudi Arabia strongly criticized the incursion of extremist Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denounced ongoing assaults on civilian residences following Israeli airstrikes in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, which occurred late Saturday and resulted in 87 casualties and individuals reported missing due to the rubble.
The ministry reiterated the Kingdom's condemnation of the ongoing genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories and Gaza.
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