JEDDAH: The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia condemned the Houthi militia’s aggression toward the Kingdom on Thursday, describing it as a failed attempt by a corrupt tyrant who was “not of Islam.”
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, who is the head of the Supreme Council of Scholars, praised the courage of the Saudi forces who had defended the country from the attacks.
Saudi air defenses intercepted seven ballistic missiles fired toward various targets in Saudi Arabia by Houthi militia in Yemen earlier this week. He said: “We must be united with our leaders and we appeal to them ... and defend them.”
The Grand Mufti said the attack was a “serious criminal act of aggression that was misguided and was not an Islamic act.” He described the Houthis as “corrupt tyrants,” whose actions bore no relation to Islam.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the UN Security Council’s members stressed that the attacks are a serious threat to the Kingdom’s security and to regional security. Concern was expressed over Houthi militias’ declaration that they plan to continue attacking the Kingdom and other countries in the region.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Iran is supplying Houthi militia in Yemen with weapons. “There is a problem in Yemen that the political process has not started and that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is under constant attacks being carried out by Houthi militias who are getting weapons from Iran,” he said.
The Australian Imams Council condemned the launch of ballistic missiles by Iran-backed Houthi militias in several cities of the Kingdom, including Riyadh.
President of Australian Imams Council Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman said in a statement: “The more-than-200-member Council, Australia’s largest Islamic legal body, condemns this aggressive and criminal act, and affirms its stand by the Kingdom in defending its security and stability and confronting the repeated attacks carried out by Iran-backed Houthi militias.”
The Islamic communities in Australia also condemned the missile attack in Saudi Arabia.
“The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils condemns this criminal operation,” the head of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Dr. Rateb Junaid, said in a statement.
For its part, the Association of Muslims Union of Australia (UMA) has condemned the Houthis’ targeting of cities and residential communities with ballistic missiles while the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO) condemned the launching of ballistic missiles carried out by Houthi coup militias on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued on Thursday, AICTO stressed its solidarity with the Kingdom in confronting any attempt to threaten its security and stability, praising the success of the Saudi military forces.
Grand Mufti of the Republic of Tunisia Sheikh Othman Battikh said: ”This is done by those who do not want the good for the Arab and Islamic world, as the attack on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an attack on the entire Muslim World and Muslims wherever they are. It is undoubtedly a crime against all peace advocates in the world.”