Government | Saturday 30 May, 2015 10:41 am |

The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance (MIAECG) announced here Friday that its mosques across the Kingdom are ready for the upcoming month of Ramadan.

Security measures will be beefed up to protect mosques following the two attacks.
These security measures come in the wake of the terrorist attack on Al-Qadeeh mosque last Friday that killed several worshippers and injured many others.
On Friday, a similar attack occurred in Dammam, near a mosque killing four people. Security guards will be assigned to mosques under ministry directives, a source said, adding: "The new regulations will apply to the construction of mosques as a prerogative."

A royal decree was issued last Monday directed MIAECG branches across the Kingdom to set up a committee to study security aspects related to existing mosques, which is now in the final stage.

The ministry’s undersecretary for mosque affairs, Tawfiq Al-Sudairy, has directed all branches of the ministry in various regions not to sanction leave for imams, muezzins and other essential staff during the holy month, especially the last 10 days.

The ministry has called on imams and preachers to take into account the spirit of tolerance in Islam in their sermons and refrain from adopting an aggressive posture.
“Mosques are a place of worship and not a place of rivalry and sectarian issues, and the ministry forbids mentioning names, institutions or parties,” a source said. The ministry is keen to serve and protect the houses of God and their visitors.