Saudi religious leaders warn against disunity

November 8, 2014

Saudi religiousMakkah, Nov 8: Anyone endangering the security of the country is, in fact, playing into the hands of the enemies who are looking for an opportunity to destroy the society, said Grand Mosque Imam Saud Al-Shoraim in his Friday sermon.

He warned Muslims to beware of those who want to drive a wedge between them in order to advance their nefarious designs.

“Sleep without security will be restless and a worship devoid of security will be muddled worship. Peace and security is very important for us,” Al-Shoraim said.

A number of people were killed in a terror attack in the Eastern Province on Monday.

Those who cause security breach and violence do not want a dignified life for their people, the Sheikh said.

Security is the basic requirement of life. It is achieved by ensuring the safety of life, property and honor, he added.

The imam compared one who breached security of a nation with a sailor who dug holes in a ship.

“Unless other sailors throw him overboard the whole ship will sink and all sailors drown,” he said

“Security is destabilized by deviant ideology that ruins religious values. Other situations that lead to the disruption of people’s security are harming innocent lives, addiction to drug or liquor, theft of wealth or earning money illegally by violating the honor of other people and committing adultery,” Al-Shoraim said in his speech.

In his sermon at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, Imam and Khatib Sheikh Salah Al-Bodair stressed the importance of tolerance, wisdom and peace.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, chairman of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars, in his sermon at imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, said the consequences of the disruption of law and order in a country are grave and affect all sections of society.

“The wisdom behind the Shariah-based punishments is to establish justice in the word and to ensure security and stability for the Ummah,” Al-Asheikh said adding that Shariah-based punishments are a blessing from Allah sent down to the Muslims to rein in the wicked people and ensure security and peace in the society.

He also prayed to the Almighty to enable the Kingdom’s rulers to successfully implement the laws of Allah so that the corrupt are reined in and destroyed and people are guaranteed a life free from evil.

Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif has meanwhile reaffirmed that all security authorities will carry out their duties to challenge those who attempt to tamper with the Kingdom’s stability.

The minister made these comments, while visiting the families of victims killed in the terrorist attack in Al-Ahsa on Monday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki announced the arrest of an Al-Ahsa attack suspect in Arar on Friday night.

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News Network
April 26,2020

Dubai, Apr 26: Saudi Arabia reported 1223 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 17522, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday (April 26).

Meanwhile, the ministry reported 142 recoveries today, with total recoveries in the kingdom at 2357. There are 115 cases in intensive care.

The ministry also confirmed 3 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 139.

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz has ordered the partial lifting of a curfew imposed due to the new coronavirus across the country while keeping a 24-hour lockdown in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi news agency SPA reported Sunday. The partial lifting of the restriction started Sunday from 9am until 5pm and will continue until May 14, the agency added.

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Agencies
February 27,2020

Riyadh, Feb 27: Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears about a new viral epidemic just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a move coming as the Mideast has over 220 confirmed cases of the illness.

The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia stops foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure the world's 1.8 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day. It also said travel was suspended to Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina.

The decision showed the worry about the outbreak potentially spreading into Saudi Arabia, whose oil-rich monarchy stakes its legitimacy on protecting Islam's holy sites. The epicenter in the Mideast's most-affected country, Iran, appears to be in the holy Shiite city of Qom, where a shrine there sees the faithful reach out to kiss and touch it in reverence.

"Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus, and urges its citizens to exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement announcing the decision.

"We ask God Almighty to spare all humanity from all harm." Disease outbreaks always have been a concern surrounding the hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, especially as pilgrims come from all over the world.

The earliest recorded outbreak came in 632 as pilgrims fought off malaria. A cholera outbreak in 1821, for instance, killed an estimated 20,000 pilgrims. Another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 pilgrims and then spread worldwide.

More recently, Saudi Arabia faced a danger from a related coronavirus that caused Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The kingdom increased its public health measures in 2012 and 2013, though no outbreak occurred.

While millions attend the 10-day hajj, this year set for late July into early August, millions more come during the rest of the year to the holy sites in the kingdom.

"It is unprecedented, at least in recent times, but given the worldwide spread of the virus and the global nature of the umrah, it makes sense from a public health and safety point of view," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. "Especially since the Iranian example illustrates how a religious crossroads can so quickly amplify the spread and reach of the virus." The virus that causes the illness named COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people globally, mainly in China. The hardest-hit nation in the Mideast is Iran, where Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 19 people have died among 139 confirmed cases.

Experts are concerned Iran may be underreporting cases and deaths, given the illness's rapid spread from Iran across the Persian Gulf. For example, Iran still has not confirmed any cases in Mashhad, even though a number of cases reported in Kuwait are linked to the Iranian city.

In Bahrain, which confirmed 33 cases as of Thursday morning, authorities halted all flights to Iraq and Lebanon. It separately extended a 48-hour ban overflights from Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, through which infected travellers reached the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said there were no immediate plans to quarantine cities but acknowledged it may take "one, two or three weeks” to get control of the virus in Iran.

As Iran's 80 million people find themselves increasingly isolated in the region by the outbreak, the country's sanctions-battered economy saw its currency slump to its lowest level against the US dollar in a year on Wednesday.

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Khaleej Times
May 27,2020

Dubai, May 27: As the authorities have taken steps to ease the Covid-19 restrictions to allow the people of Dubai to resume sporting activities from Wednesday, May 27, the Dubai Sports Council has answered your key questions.

Q&A

What are the age groups allowed to practice sports during this period?

From 12 years old to 60 years old.

Is it required to do the Coronavirus (Covid 19) medical test certificate before resuming physical activity?

Returning to the activity does not require a Coronavirus (Covid 19) test certificate.

Is it allowed for the elderly with chronic diseases to return to sports activities in fitness and yoga centers?

No, it is not allowed.

Is it allowed to use the shower cabins and bathrooms in fitness and yoga centers?

Shower cabins, saunas and jacuzzis are not allowed, while bathrooms are allowed, with sterilisation being emphasised after each use.

What sports can resume its activities?

All sports except water sports/swimming and that are practiced indoors and swimming pools.

What is the approved operational percentage within the sports facility?

A maximum 50% capacity

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