The Saudi government has arrested the former imam of the Kaaba and preacher Sheikh Saleh Al-Talib for allegedly criticizing government policies.
Services of the former Imam of the Kaaba
The former Imam of the Kaaba, Sheikh Saleh Al-Talib, has served as a judge in various Saudi courts, including the Emergency Court in the capital Riyadh and the High Court in Makkah, where he worked before his arrest.
Why was the former Imam Kaaba arrested?
According to Al-Jazeera, the former Imam of the Kaaba gave a sermon against the ‘oppressive and absolute’ rulers in a speech before his arrest.
The former Imam of the Kaaba criticized the mingling of promiscuous men and women in concerts and entertainment venues in his speeches, but he did not directly criticize the government in his sermons.
According to media reports, the former Imam of the Kaaba has been arrested for giving a sermon against the rulers.
Reaction of Saudi Crown Prince
In July, Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview that there are some extremists in the country who cannot see men and women alone together and criticize workplaces. They contradict the period of the life of the Prophet.
It should be known that many modern reforms have been introduced in the conservative society of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Saudi Crown Prince, under which women have been given a lot of freedom.
Increasing liberalization in Saudi Arabia
Over the past few years, several Islamic scholars have been arrested in Saudi Arabia for holding very conservative religious thought which is not compatible with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ‘liberalization’ campaign and his ‘Vision 2030’ of economic and social reforms.
In recent times, many scholars have been arrested in Saudi Arabia who have criticized government policies in any way.
10 years imprisonment
On August 22, a court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced the former imam of the Kaaba and preacher Sheikh Saleh al-Talib to ten years in prison. It should be noted that this news has been published by all media around the world except Saudi Arabia.
According to various news websites of the Arab world, on August 22, the Saudi Court of Appeal issued a 10-year prison sentence against the former imam and preacher Sheikh Saleh al-Talib.
Among the media outlets that reported on the former imam of the Kaaba was Qatar-linked Arabic 21, which reported that the court had reversed a lower court’s acquittal of the charges.
