Haia’s Makkah chief denies arrest rumors

“I am currently outside of the Kingdom and learned about the attack on my house and a subsequent arrest in Al-Awali district in Makkah. But I don’t have more details about the incident,” Ahmad Al-Qasim Al-Ghamdi told Arab News via telephone on Thursday.
According to the reports, a group of youths gathered in front of Al-Ghamdi’s house in protest of his recent views on gender mixing and prayers.
Al-Ghamdi said he would answer Arab News’ questions on other reports that the Haia had fired him when he returned to Kingdom today (Friday). He also said a statement had been released by the commission on the matter.
He did add that the Haia director-general had called him and told him to remain at his post. He said he was waiting for written confirmation of the conversation.
Makkah police spokesman Maj. Abdul Mohsen Al-Maiman told Arab News that he did not have any details to disclose on the alleged attack on Al-Ghamdi’s house at present. The youths are alleged to have called at Al-Ghamdi’s house on Thursday, mockingly demanding that they be allowed to mingle with female members of his family.
The reports added that they made the demand on the basis of Ghamdi’s comments about gender mixing.
This was alleged to have led to a row with the Haia chief. Local police then arrived to arrest them all, including Al-Ghamdi, the reports said.