News Issues

Al-Qaeda Threatens Saudi Prince, Calls His Progressive Efforts Sinful

Bhana

02 Jun 2018 06:21 IST

New Update

As per reports, Al-Qaeda has warned Saudi Arabia’s crown prince that his efforts to liberalise the conservative kingdom are in fact sinful projects. The extremist group criticised Prince Mohammed's string of policy changes in the conservative Arabian Kingdom. Al-Qaeda believes that allowing women to drive and re-opening cinemas are not only sinful but also punishable. The Yemen-based jihadist group spoke about this in its Madad news bulletin, picked up by the SITE Intelligence Group. They said, "The new era of Bin Salman replaced mosques with movie theatres. He substituted the books that belonged to the imams with absurdities of the atheists and secularists from the East and West. He has opened the door wide for corruption and moral degradation."

Advertisment

AQAP Condemned Saudi Entertainment and Sports Authorities, Points to WWE Event in Jeddah as Example of “Sin” https://t.co/dEYTLcAj6x
— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) June 1, 2018

“The new era of Bin Salman replaced mosques with movie theatres,” the Yemen-based militant group said in its Madad news bulletin, picked up by the SITE Intelligence Group. https://t.co/3sbD70RPVF
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) June 2, 2018

Al-Qaeda believes that organising movie shows, circus shows and concerts is not only a big disgrace to the Kingdom but also a matter of shame.

Heavily slammed April’s WWE Royal Rumble

The jihadist group also criticised April’s WWE Royal Rumble event in its coastal city of Jeddah, near the Islam’s most holy sites in Mecca.

“(Foreign) disbelieving wrestlers exposed their privates and on most of them was the sign of the cross, in front of a mixed gathering of young Muslim men and women,” it said. The group addressed the event organisers as corruptors.

The AQAP branch of Al-Qaeda is currently battling Saudi forces who fight as part of an Arab coalition in neighbouring Yemen. More than 10,000 people have died in the way. About eight million are facing food scarcity since Shia Houthi rebels took control of capital Sanaa in 2015. They are also on the United Nations blacklist over the killing and disabling of children. The rebels have controlled the capital Sanaa since then.

Saudi Arabia, considered one of the most regressive countries in the world for women, has picked up pace in resorting to a liberal environment. Winds of change are finally blowing in the Arabian Kingdom. The crown prince is leaving no stone unturned in adopting progressive reforms.