Not only does Saudi Arabia provide money and martyrs for the Iraqi theater of war, help now arrives from the theological front:
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Over 30 prominent Islamic clerics from Saudi Arabia on Monday called on Sunni Muslims around the Middle East to support their brethren in Iraq against Shiites and praised the insurgency.
The clerics issued a statement warning that Shiite Muslims were taking control of Iraq in a conspiracy with “Crusaders” in an attempt to marginalize Sunni Muslims.
Thousands of Iraqis have been killed this year in sectarian bloodshed between the majority Shiites and the Sunni Arab minority, who lost their dominance of the country to Shiites after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Saudi Arabia, like most Arab countries, is predominantly Sunni but has a significant Shiite minority. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have all expressed concerns over increasing Shiite power in Iraq and other parts of the region, which they see as an opening for Iranian influence.
The statement was signed by more than 30 Saudi clerics — most from Saudi Arabia’s top Islamic universities, the centers of the kingdom’s hardline version of Sunni Islam.
“After almost four years of occupation, it is clear that the aim behind this occupation is for the Crusaders and Shiites to take control of Iraq, paving the way to complete their control over the region,” read the statement, posted on a Saudi news Web site.
The clerics praised Iraq’s Sunni insurgency, saying that jihad, or holy war, “is one of the most important tenets of religion, and what has been taken by force can only be regained by force.”
They called on Sunni Muslims around the Middle East to “stand directly with our Sunni brothers in Iraq, using all appropriate and considered forms of support” and urged clerics to “educate the public about the Shiite threat.”
The sectarian conflict in Iraq has raised fears of a growing split between the two main sects of Islam around the Middle East as members of each rally around their brethren there.
Key Iraqi officials have said that millions of dollars in financing has been sent to Iraq’s insurgents private donors in Saudi Arabia, though Saudi officials have denied the report.
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I’ve read Jill Carroll’s hostage story in Iraq (she was abducted by Sunni insurgents earlier this year) from CS Monitor. When that Samara Mosque bombing happened, Sunni insurgents started to target all their violence against Shia Muslims. They even deemed the Shia Muslims as “pigs”.
I don’t really know why there are so much hate between these two sects of the same faith. If they realize how much it would benefit the Muslims by reuniting for a common goal, they would see there really isn’t any justifications between all these violence. In fact, they can potentially make the Middle East a much better place than what it is now. They could make the Middle East less dependent on form imports, thereby, more independent of Washington’s foreign policies.
Saudi Arabia aiding the insurgents with money and religious support?
I am shocked!!!
This entire scenario was predictable. Its only a matter of time before the neighboring countries (Turkey, Iran, Jordan) get drawn into the conflict.
it’s not right! sunni’s are not supposed to FIGHT the shiah, they are supposed to fight the americans! omg when are our brothers in islam will stop fighting against each other and start fighting the REAL enemy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!