RIYADH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has sacked the imam of a mosque in Riyadh for discussing political events in Egypt in a Friday sermon last month. Hamad Al-Hoqail, who delivered the controversial sermon at Al-Firdous Mosque in the Al-Nahda neighborhood of eastern Riyadh, had been temporarily banned from leading Friday prayers after the sermon led to scuffles inside the mosque. A ministry source said the imam was dismissed after it was proven beyond doubt that he talked about political events in Egypt and prayed against Gen. Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the Egyptian armed forces, in his supplication. The sources said the imam had intervened in the internal affairs of another country and his sermon provoked worshipers who said the mosques should be dedicated to prayers and worship and not to political debate. The source said the ministry has secret committees watching mosques to check any violations by imams during their sermons. He said a number of imams were stopped from leading prayers because they had used Friday sermons to spread political messages.
