Nimr Execution: Islamic leaders to meet Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh

BENGALURU: Islamic religious heads, including Shia and Sunnis, will be meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh before January 17 asking government to take a stand against 'inhuman' execution of top Shia cleric Ayaullah Baqir al Nimr by Saudi government for his alleged terror activities. They would also seek to bring international pressure to remove Saudi Arabia from the chair of the United Nations Humans Rights Council, Anjuman-E-Imamia President Syed Zamin Raza told here.

"We will be meeting our External Affairs and also Home Minister before January 17 in New Delhi," he added.

Since India is maintaining good relations with most of the Islamic countries including Iran, Iraq and Afghanisthan among others, Raza said it has political and economic clout to bring international pressure on Saudi authorities to return the body of Nimr to his aggrieved relatives.

Indian government also should use its clout to free all "political prisoners of conscience" by Saudi government and permit Shias in their country to practice its religion with peace and dignity, Raza said.

The delegation will also brief Singh and Swaraj, saying that there is not even one terrorist organisation anywhere in the world which is run by Shia community, Raza said.

Countering the charges of Nimr being a terrorist, Syed Adeel Razak, Member of Karnataka State Wakf Board, said those charges were 'false' as the executed leader never indulged in terrorist activities and never wielded any gun or killed any person in his entire life.

Instead, Nimr lived with dignity and laid down his life for freedom, human values and social justice, Razak said.