KSA: A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a prominent former imam of Grand Masjid in Makkah to 10 years in prison after he reportedly delivered a sermon criticising mixed public gatherings. Specialised Criminal Appeals Court in Riyadh sentenced Sheikh Saleh al-Talib to prison after overturning a previous acquittal, Middle East Eye reported quoting US-based rights group Democracy for Arab World Now (Dawn).

Saudi authorities first detained Talib in 2018 and gave no reason for his arrest, which came after he delivered a sermon criticising General Entertainment Authority, a government body in charge of regulating entertainment industry, according to activists. He had condemned concerts and events that he said broke away from country’s religious and cultural norms.

Imam has a global following, with thousands of people watching his sermons and recitations of Holy Quran on YouTube.

His arrest comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues his drive to reform Saudi society and diversify kingdom’s oil-dependent economy.

Khaleej Online had reported that in his sermon, Talib, who also served as a judge in Makkah, derided mixing of unrelated men and women at concerts and other mixed entertainment events.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 27 2022

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