Dar al-Ifta issued a statement Monday pressing for regional unity and condeming threats made to Shias by the terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State.
The statement said inciting sectarian strife, conflicts and racism is one of the malignant means of extremists like the IS use to cause rifts in communities and nations, sowing discord between people and disturbing social and religious peace to turn the loyalty of people to their sect instead of their nation.
It added the IS is using this to turn the Arab and Islamic region into a whole arena of sectarian fight.
Dar al-Ifta's statement came after the IS called on Sunnis in Saudi Arabia to kill Shias wherever they find them. The IS had threatened Shias in Saudi Arabia with death and displacement.
Citizenship is a bond that brings people together to maintain the unity of their countries and repel threats, said the statement of Dar al-Ifta.
Coexistence, harmony and compassion should be the basis of relations between people of one nation, who are brought together for the higher interest of religion and homeland by defending it against threats and dangers, and supporting the state's efforts toward maintaining peace and achieving development.
The IS is against citizenship as it prevents the organization from achieving its goals, according to the statement.
The statement called on Arab nations to renounce extremist ideas promoted by the IS and to support the state institutions in confronting extremism which threatens the Islamic world.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
