"Eleven people have been arrested since Tuesday in Medina," Interior said

RIYADH, May 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, has fired 44 Friday preachers, 160 imams (prayer leaders) and 149 muezzin (prayer callers) for being "incompetent" in the past six months, a newspaper reported Wednesday, May 28.

Saudi officials have said that several hundred preachers who defied orders not to speak about "sensitive political issues", especially those which may strain ties with Washington, were dismissed and prevented from giving sermons at mosques, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

Authorities also suspended 1,357 religious officials from their duties and ordered them to undergo training, Al-Hayat daily said.

The dismissals took place in accordance with a program introduced by the ministry of Islamic affairs to boost performance of mosque employees, Al-Hayat said.

Those suspended from duties include 517 imams, 90 Friday Muslim callers and 750 muezzin. They have been asked to undergo "Islamic theological training" to be able to work more efficiently at mosques.

No External Pressure

The paper quoted head of the ministry program Sheikh Salman al-Amri as saying the actions were not linked to the recent suicide bombings in Riyadh or the result of external pressure.

Saudi Arabia employs some 80,000 people, including part-time Muslim callers, at tens of thousands of mosques run by the government.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Muslim callers have been repeatedly asked not to speak about "sensitive political issues", especially those which may strain ties with Washington.

Saudi officials have said that several hundred Muslim callers who defied those orders were dismissed and prevented from giving sermons at mosques.

"Gross" human rights violations in Saudi Arabia: Amnesty

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said in its report for 2002 published Wednesday that "gross" human rights violations continued in Saudi Arabia, especially in light of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

"Gross human rights violations continued and were exacerbated by the government policy of 'combating terrorism' in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks," Amnesty said.

Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network was blamed for the attacks in which suicide hijackers slammed planes into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon outside Washington. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis.

"The violations were perpetuated by the strictly secretive criminal justice system and the prohibition of political parties, trade unions and independent human rights organizations," Amnesty said.

The report said that "hundreds of suspected religious activists and critics of the state were arrested and the legal status of most of those held from previous years remained shrouded in secrecy.

"Women continued to suffer severe discrimination. Torture and ill-treatment remained rife. At least 48 people were executed," it said.

All 48 were sentenced to death after trials "about which very little was known," while it was unclear how many prisoners are under the death sentence, it said.

Alleged Mastermind of Riyadh Blasts Arrested

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday the arrest of the alleged mastermind of recent suicide attacks in Riyadh and several other al-Qaeda suspects, as an opposition group reported two fugitive clerics killed in a special forces raid.

"Eleven people have been arrested since Tuesday in Medina," Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz told a press conference in the northern city of Tabuk.