Saudi Arabia: Imam Sheikh Saleh Al Talib Who Was Critical on Concerts and Events Sighting Religious Norms Jailed for 10 Years

Riyadh, August 27: A Saudi courtroom has sentenced a outstanding former imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca to 10 years in jail, {Middle} East Eye reported. The Specialised Prison Appeals Courtroom in Riyadh sentenced Sheikh Saleh al Talib to jail after overturning a earlier acquittal, US-based rights group Democracy for the Arab World Now (Daybreak) stated. Saudi authorities first detained Talib in 2018 and gave no cause for his arrest, which got here after he delivered a sermon criticising the Basic Entertainment Authority, a authorities physique accountable for regulating the entertainment trade, in accordance with activists, {Middle} East Eye reported. He condemned live shows and occasions that he stated broke away from the nation's non secular and cultural norms. Talib has a world following, with hundreds of individuals watching his sermons and recitations of the Quran on YouTube. His arrest comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues his drive to reform Saudi society and diversify the Gulf kingdom's oil-dependent economic system. Since MBS, because the Crown Prince is popularly know, assumed de facto energy, rights teams say authorities have arrested dozens of a number of outstanding clerics and imams who're vital of his reform agenda, {Middle} East Eye reported. Amongst these detained are Salman al-Odah, who referred to as for the Saudi Arabian folks to reconcile their variations with Qataris after Riyadh led a region-wide blockade of the Gulf nation. Daybreak, a gaggle based by the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirmed Talib's courtroom sentencing on Twitter. Abdullah Alaoudh, a spokesperson for Daybreak, condemned the jail sentence and stated it was a part of a rising sample of clerics and imams dealing with imprisonment for talking out towards reforms pursued by MBS, {Middle} East Eye reported. "The sentencing of the Grand Mosque's Imam Saleh Al Talib to 10 years for criticizing social changes and the sentencing of women activist Salma Alshehab to 34 years for calling for real social reforms is a stark irony that tells us that MBS's oppression threatens every group," stated Alaoudh, whose father is Salman al-Odah. "What is in common between all political prisoners including Imam Al Talib is that they peacefully expressed their opinions and got arrested for it. This repression should stop against everyone (with) no exceptions." Different latest critics arrested embrace PhD pupil Salma al-Shehab, who was sentenced to 34 years in jail for tweets that have been vital of the Saudi authorities, {Middle} East Eye reported. (The above story first appeared on SociallyTrend on Aug 27, 2022 12:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports activities, entertainment and way of life, go online to our web site latestly.com).