Ansar Allah website - Report - 15 Jumada Al-Awwal 1448 AH

The Yemen Scholars Association condemned the contents of the statement issued by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, which had adopted the Saudi regime’s false accusations against Yemen, alleging that it had targeted Mecca and Medina, may Allah protect them.

In a statement, the Association categorically rejected the contents of the Grand Imam’s statement, describing it as a grave insult, a great slander, a manifest falsehood, and false testimony against the people of faith and wisdom. It stressed that the proper course should have been to act in accordance with Allah Almighty’s words: “O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice”; His words, “O you who believe, stand firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives”; and His words, “O you who believe, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.”

The statement pointed out that, the Saudi regime’s misconduct had been demonstrated by the activities of what it called the Entertainment Authority. It considered the adoption of the Saudi regime’s false narrative an affront to the sanctity of Mecca and Medina, may Allah protect them, an incitement to discord among Muslims, a service to the Zionist enemy, and an injury to a people whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, praised for their faith and wisdom. The Association cited Allah Almighty’s words: “And those who harm believing men and believing women for something they have not earned have certainly borne upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.”

The Association added, “The Yemen Scholars Association followed with great astonishment and deep surprise the statement issued by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, who adopted the falsehood and slander alleging the targeting of Islamic holy sites and the sacred lands of Mecca and Medina. This came after the gracious call and fraternal appeal he had made to reconcile differences and mend relations, a call that was sincerely welcomed by the Association, the head of the National Negotiating Delegation, Mohammed Abdul Salam, and the President of the Supreme Political Council, Field Marshal Mahdi Al-Mashat, last night, but to which the Saudi side did not respond.”

The Association noted that the Grand Imam should instead have admonished the Saudi regime and advised it to end its aggression and blockade against Yemen, which have continued for 12 years, rather than align himself with the regime and adopt its slander, falsehoods, and fabrications, which the Yemeni people, their leadership, scholars, and armed forces have categorically rejected on numerous occasions.

It explained that one of the dangers posed by the Saudi regime lies in its attempt to implicate Islamic countries, including religious scholars, and to exploit the holy sites through falsehood and slander in order to give its aggression and blockade a religious and divisive character, despite having announced its campaign from Washington. The Association alleged that the United States and Israel support this approach to deplete the capabilities of the Ummah and prepare the ground for implementing what it called “Greater Israel.”

The Yemen Scholars Association renewed its affirmation that the Yemeni people, their leadership, government, and armed forces remain open to any Islamic initiative aimed at resolving disputes and reconciling differences in a manner that pleases Allah, rather than the United States and Israel.

Full Statement of the Yemen Scholars Association

The Yemen Scholars Association stated:

“The Yemen Scholars Association followed with great astonishment and deep surprise the statement issued by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, who adopted the falsehood and slander alleging the targeting of Islamic holy sites and the sacred lands of Mecca and Medina. This came after the gracious call and fraternal appeal he had made to reconcile differences and mend relations, a call that was sincerely welcomed by the Association, the head of the National Negotiating Delegation, Mohammed Abdul Salam, and the President of the Supreme Political Council, Field Marshal Mahdi Al-Mashat, last night, but to which the Saudi side did not respond.

“He should instead have admonished the Saudi regime and advised it to end its aggression and blockade against Yemen, which have continued for 12 years, rather than align himself with the regime and adopt its slander, falsehoods, and fabrications, which the Yemeni people, their leadership, scholars, and armed forces have categorically rejected on numerous occasions.

“We condemn the contents of the statement and categorically reject them, considering them a grave insult, a great slander, a manifest falsehood, and false testimony against the people of faith and wisdom. The proper course should have been to act in accordance with Allah Almighty’s words: ‘O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice’; His words: ‘O you who believe, stand firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives’; and His words: ‘O you who believe, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.’

“According to the Association, the Saudi regime’s misconduct has been demonstrated by the activities of what is called the Entertainment Authority. We consider the adoption of the Saudi regime’s false narrative an affront to the sanctity of Mecca and Medina, may Allah protect them, an incitement to discord among Muslims, a service to the Zionist enemy, and an injury to a people whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, praised for their faith and wisdom. Allah Almighty says: ‘And those who harm believing men and believing women for something they have not earned have certainly borne upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.’

“Perhaps pressure from the Saudi and Egyptian regimes lies behind the issuance of this statement. Unfortunately, this is not the first such instance involving Al-Azhar. Previously, during the Al-Aqsa Flood, it issued a statement concerning the starvation of Gaza, only to delete it minutes later under the pretext of allowing an opportunity for peace. We therefore call for the withdrawal of the statement so that those responsible may clear themselves before Allah, as they neither verified the allegations nor contacted Sana’a to hear its side.

“Here, we ask: Is the Saudi regime’s perpetration of massacres and targeting of civilian objects in Yemen over 12 years, and throughout the 100 days of the current escalation, which have been extensively documented by media outlets in audio and video, considered legitimate and therefore undeserving of condemnation or any religious position against it?

“Yemen, the land of faith and wisdom, is known for its positions, ethics, values, and principles. The Saudi regime, meanwhile, is known for its alliance with the American enemy and its alignment with the Israeli enemy. Nothing demonstrates this more clearly than Yemen’s swift move to support Gaza and prohibit Israeli maritime navigation, a commendable precedent in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

“By contrast, the Saudi regime colluded with the Zionists in establishing a land bridge from the United Arab Emirates, passing through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and reaching the Zionist enemy. It also attempted to intercept our missiles and drones heading toward it. Allah Almighty says: ‘O you who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies. They are allies of one another. And whoever among you takes them as allies is indeed one of them. Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.’

“Allah granted the Yemeni people success in supporting the oppressed people of Gaza, despite the distance of 2,000 kilometers, while the Egyptian regime failed them despite being only meters away. Egypt was more deserving of taking action to support Gaza, and the Egyptian army should have intervened to defend it and protect its people. Yet Egypt did not even sever relations with the Zionist entity, relations that are religiously prohibited in principle.

“One of the dangers posed by the Saudi regime is its attempt to implicate Islamic countries, including religious scholars, and to exploit the holy sites through falsehood and slander in order to give its aggression and blockade a religious and divisive character, despite having announced its campaign from Washington and receiving the backing of the United States and Israel to deplete the capabilities of the Ummah and prepare the ground for implementing what is called ‘Greater Israel.’

“In conclusion, we affirm that our people, leadership, government, and army remain open to any Islamic initiative aimed at resolving disputes and reconciling differences in a manner that pleases Allah, rather than the United States and Israel.”