Saudi Mufti Rallies Two Million Muslim Pilgrims Against Israel
ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia, March 4 (News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia's top-ranking cleric on Sunday rallied more than two million Muslim pilgrims from 160 countries against Israel and the defenders of human rights in the West in a sermon outside Mecca attended by several Muslim leaders.
"Jerusalem is suffering under the occupation of pillaging Jews, who are oppressing our weakened Muslim brothers in Palestine under the gaze of those who call for human rights to be defended," said Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh.
"Where are the disciples of human rights who do not stop spitting out hostile words against Islam like a poison?" Sheikh Abdelaziz asked during a sermon delivered on the Arafat plain, 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Mecca.
The Muslim pilgrims had gathered on the plain of Arafat to pray for forgiveness at the site of the Prophet Mohammad's last sermon 14 centuries ago, the high point of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
The Mufti also slammed human rights organizations "who pretend to want rights for women, men and animals, all the while failing to mention our Muslim brothers, killed, dispersed and whose land has been pillaged."
"Islam guaranteed women's rights," he said, urging Muslims throughout the world to abide by Islamic law, or Sharia'.
Several leaders of Muslim countries were present at the prayers, including Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, Mali's President Alpha Oumar Konare, the head of Pakistan's military regime, General Pervez Musharraf, and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikha Hasina Wajed.
