The imams of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina have strongly condemned the Houthi attack aimed at Mecca, describing it as a grave sin and contrary to religious and humanitarian values.
Sheikh Bandar Balilah, imam of the Grand Mosque, said the security of holy places and innocent people is a red line that must never be crossed. An attack aimed at the holy Kaaba and the Prophet’s Mosque is entirely contrary to the teachings of Islam, he said.
He added that acts which create fear among Muslims and place their holiest sites under threat diminish the dignity of those places and endanger the lives of innocent people.
“Those who dare to target the sacred house of Allah and the mosque of His Prophet have no connection with the teachings of Islam,” Balilah said.
Sheikh Abdul Mohsin al-Qasim, imam of the Prophet’s Mosque, said the attack, in placing Mecca and Medina under threat, was an expression of a kind of terrorism that creates fear among people and legitimises the shedding of Muslim blood.
Saudi authorities said air defences shot down a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening. The coalition says it was the Houthis’ second attempted attack on Mecca, after a ballistic missile was fired in July 2017.