Many imams fired for failing to warn against terrorist group: Saudi minister

Saudi Arabia's Islamic affairs minister confirmed that many imams were fired in recent weeks after failing to follow the directive of warning citizens against the group called Muslim Brotherhood and its ideology.

Authorities did not wish to suspend or fire any of their employees but stressed the importance of carrying out the directives by clerics and sermon givers, reports Al Arabiya quoting Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, as saying.

"The reports of several imams being fired is true. This is due to their failure to implement the ministry's directives in publishing a statement from the Senior Religious Scholars Council commenting and explaining to people the dangers of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group," the minister said.

"There is no doubt that their termination does not mean that they are from the Brotherhood or supporters of this ideology, but rather it is a regulatory procedure of the ministry," he said adding that those who did not implement directives or were slow in implementation were dispensed with and replaced by those who are prepared and meet the conditions.

Saudi Arabia formally declared the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in 2014.