Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- The kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority condemned yesterday as un-Islamic calls for demonstrations, a day following a similar statement from the Saudi Interior Ministry.

The full statement by the Council of Senior Scholars is as fellows:

The Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued a statement here today in which they underscored the importance of scholars in times of crisis and turmoil which are spreading across the world nowadays.

The statement, broadly, calls for unity of ranks because it is one of the most fundamentals of Islam, an aspect that the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) strongly asserted.

In their statement, the senior Scholars noted that while appealing to God Almighty to bestow stability on all Muslims and to agree on the right path by rulers and ruled alike, they thank God Almighty for the united word of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as described in the Holy Book of God Almighty and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) under the wise leadership that has the right legitimacy.

Keeping the unity of the group is one of the greatest pillars of Islam, the statement emphasized.

Through its progress and advancement, the Kingdom has managed to preserve the Islamic identity, and now as it owns legitimate means to defend it, the council said. The kingdom will never allow -God willing- any incoming thoughts, neither from the West nor from the East, to distort this identity or to wreak havoc among the community, the council added.

By serving the two holy mosques, Saudi Arabia has secured to its self a special merit among the Islamic World, the council said.

The council added, ‘Consequently, the Council of Senior Scholars as it senses the bliss of the unanimity of opinion, in the light of the Holy Quran, the Teachings of the Prophet and under the wise leadership, calls on all to spare no effort to strengthen the unity and warns against any thing that may cause sedition.’

The statement also warns against all deviant intellectual and partisan links, stressing that the reform and advice have their legitimate approach that brings interest and averts evil, and not by issuing statements of intimidation and inciting strife.

Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on the Holy Qur’an, Sunnah, pledge of allegiance, unity and obedience, the reform and advice can’t be carried out by demonstrations and means and methods that stir discord and divide the group, the council said adding that the scholars of this country have agreed on prohibiting such acts and have warned against them.

The council also emphasizes the prohibition of demonstrations in this country since the legal manner to realize interests should not be accompanied with trouble but counseling which is enacted by the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

The council said it is important that the legal, control and executive authorities should carry out their duties as mandated by the State regulations and directives of the leadership and punish any negligent person.

The council appealed to God Almighty to protect the country and all other Muslim countries from all evils.