Imam of Tehran and Houthis warn Saudis of executing Al-Nimr

The Imam of Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatemi, has criticised the Saudi court sentence against Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr, stressing that “Sheikh Al-Nimr’s crime has been to defend the revolutionaries, Velayat Al-Faqih, and the right of the Shia to live in Saudi Arabia. This is considered a crime in the eyes of the regime.”

At the same time Ibrahim Badr Al-Houthi, brother of the leader of the Houthi’s Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, warned Saudi Arabia against harming the Shia cleric Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr who was sentenced to death the day before yesterday.

In a statement published on his Facebook page, Al-Houthi said: “We warn, we warn and we warn Saudi Arabia against committing any silliness, whether in the form of encroachments across Yemeni borders or in the form of harming Sheikh Al-Nimr in any way.”

The Houthi’s warning comes in conjunction with statements issued by Shia authorities in Lebanon and Iran in which they warn the Kingdom against harming Al-Nimr, who is considered to be the symbol of the dynamic taking place in the Shia town of Al-Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia.

It is worth noting that Al-Houthi’s group did indeed seize control of the Hard border crossing with Saudi Arabia. In the meantime, the Saudi authorities peacefully surrendered to them the Hajja Province, which is adjacent to the borders with Saudi Arabia.

The Tehran Friday temporary sermon giver was quoted by the Iranian Fars news agency as saying: “This sentence against Sheikh Al-Nimr is an act of gross injustice and it emanates from ignorance.” He also said: “Officials of human rights organisations keep criticising Iran for issuing death sentences against murderers and criminals and they consider that to be a violation of human rights while they remain silent regarding a death sentence issued by the Saudi regime against Sheikh Al-Nimr in a move that pleases the US Administration.”

According to the news agency, which is close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Ayatollah Sayyed Ahmad Khatemi addressed the Saudi regime by saying, “This will not be palatable. The execution of this scholar of religion will result in tough and serious repercussions and it will cost you dearly.”

He also criticised what he described as the recent ridiculous statements by Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faysal and said: “Al-Faysal considers Iran to be part of the problem and not part of the solution.” He added: “What calls for astonishment is that everyone knows that it is the Saudi petrodollars that created the ISIS faction. Who does not know that any terrorist operation occurring anywhere in the world is funded with your petrodollars?”

He also asked: “Who does not know that it is your treasured wealth that pays for the spilling of the blood of oppressed Muslims?”

Addressing the Saudi regime, Khatemi also said: “The truth is that you are not just part of the problem, you are the entire problem.”

He added: “Of course we understand fully why you are outraged. You have spent billions of dollars to bring down the Syrian government but to no avail. And you have spent millions of dollars in Iraq but you have failed.”

He concluded by telling the Saudi regime: “You are pathetic and sick. You just want to direct your malice against Iran and Islam.”

In another part of his sermon he referred to the anniversary of the founding of the Iranian Ministry of Security and said: “Since its founding, this Ministry has rendered great services to the sacred regime of the Islamic Republic. It constantly monitors the diabolic moves of the enemies of the Islamic Revolution and has succeeded in thwarting many conspiracies in their infancy.”

He explained, “Isolating the currents of hypocrisy at the security level is one of the fruits of the activity of the dear cadres of the Ministry of Security. The detention of Righi, the head of the murders in the south east of the country is one of the major achievements of the Ministry of Security and so has also been standing up against the sites that stir up dissension. All of these are some of the good deeds of this ministry.”

Within the same context, the Friday sermon giver in Najaf also launched a scathing attack on Saudi Arabia because of the sentence issued against Al-Nimr. Sadr Al-Din Al-Qabanji, who gave the Najaf Friday sermon, said on Friday that the Saudi Authorities have made a big mistake by sentencing Sheikh Al-Nimr to death. He pointed out that by making that decision Saudi Arabia “is digging its own grave”. This is what the Iraqi Al-Sumariyyah News website reported.

Source: Arabi21