SAEDNEWS: Yemeni scholars have called Saudi Mecca claim a ‘pure fabrication, emphasizing that the US bases on Saudi soil are the real threat to Mecca.
According to Saednews, Yemeni religious scholars have dismissed Saudi Arabia’s accusation that Yemeni forces attempted to target the holy city of Mecca, describing the claim as completely fabricated. They argued that, in their view, the more serious threats to the Kaaba come from US and Western military installations in Saudi Arabia and from what they described as the Saudi government’s increasing openness to Israeli influence in the country that hosts Islam’s two holiest sites.
The Conference of Yemeni Scholars, organized in the capital this week by the Association of Yemeni Scholars, released a statement rejecting Riyadh’s report that Saudi air defenses had intercepted a drone heading toward Mecca. According to the scholars, the allegation was intended to provoke Muslim public opinion, damage Yemen’s reputation, deepen sectarian divisions, encourage recruitment of fighters, and divert attention from the prolonged conflict and blockade involving Yemen.
The statement described the accusation of targeting Mecca as unfounded and alleged that the Saudi authorities were using it as a means of spreading what the scholars called false information. They also warned that the Saudi government could potentially carry out an incident involving the holy sites and subsequently blame Yemen for it.
The scholars further argued that using the Two Holy Mosques in support of foreign or colonial objectives could undermine Muslim unity and create opportunities for Israel to target sacred locations and deepen divisions among Muslims. They said countries participating in military action against Yemen would also bear responsibility for any resulting risks to the holy sites.
According to the conference statement, the scholars consider the presence of American and Western military bases in the Arabian Peninsula, the reported access of Israeli aircraft to Saudi airspace, and the involvement of Israeli companies in services connected with hotels and security at Hajj sites to be among the principal threats facing Mecca.
They also accused the Saudi government of undermining the sanctity of the Kaaba through what they described as public immorality, the legalization of alcohol, and other practices that they said violated the religious character of the Land of the Two Holy Mosques.
The conference appealed to what it called independent-minded people not to accept Saudi claims without scrutiny. It also called on Islamic organizations, including Al-Azhar, the Muslim World League, and the International Union of Muslim Scholars, to take action to end the conflict and blockade, highlight the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and respond to ongoing crises in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Yemeni Mufti Shams al-Din Sharaf al-Din told participants that Saudi officials were using the special religious status of Mecca and Medina to advance what he characterized as false narratives.
Other participants argued that the accusations were intended to divert attention from military developments after Yemeni forces claimed advances along the country’s western coast and in other areas. The conference statement praised Yemen’s military forces and their continued support for Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Following the conference, officials in Sana’a continued to repeat the same position. Leader of the Revolution Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi described the accusation involving Mecca as a major slander and an enormous falsehood. At a large gathering in Sabeen Square, demonstrators displayed images of the Grand Mosque while rejecting the Saudi allegation.
Yemeni military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that Yemeni military operations are directed at oil infrastructure and military installations located away from the Islamic holy sites.
Senior Ansarullah official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti likewise stated that Yemen considers itself a defender of Mecca rather than a party seeking to attack it.
