MAKKAH, 5 January — The imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah yesterday slammed the Western arrogance saying that it thrives on humiliating and subjugating other nations.
Sheikh Saleh ibn Humeid also said in his Friday sermon, televised around the world by satellite channels, that there is a huge gap between theory and practice of the Western principles of democracy, freedom and human rights.
Today’s world order is "dark, characterized by arrogance, haughtiness, humiliation and disdain. It is characterized by tyranny, suppression of peoples and nations, domination and monopolization," the imam said. "What kind of principles are these that create hatred, and educational systems that allow humiliation (of others)? What kind of a system is this that sows arrogance and conceit?"
"It becomes even worse when domination and violence don the garb of (international) legality and thus take a programmed and systematic course," Sheikh Saleh said.
He made his remarks as US and Saudi media traded fresh accusations, with Saudi newspapers yesterday blasting the US media campaign against the Kingdom and its education system. The Saudi papers strongly refuted claims by American newspapers that the Kingdom’s religious-orientated education system breeds extremism and needs to be overhauled.
Sheikh Saleh said Muslims do not reject innovations when they are useful, but the problem is that others insist theirs is the only system that must prevail. "The world needs the formulation of a merciful policy that promotes ethics, fairness and justice ... a policy that abolishes weapons used to sow destruction ... and ends all forms of colonialism and domination," he said.
