Saudi envoy walks out after Jethmalani remarks on Wahabis

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) Saudi Arabian Ambassador to
India Faisal-al-Trad on Saturday staged a walk at an
international conference of jurists here after former Union
Minister Ram Jethmalani accused the Wahabi sect of being
responsible for terrorism.
Trad left the conference hall after Jethmalani made
some remarks at the inaugural function when he said
"unfortunately in the 17th century, they produced an evil man
in Saudi Arabia by the name of Wahab, who was concerned about
the decline of Muslim world but he hit upon a wrong remedy".
The Ambassador returned to the conference after Union
Law Minister Veerappa Moily made it clear that Jethmalani's
remarks were personal and not that of the government.
Jethmalani alleged that "Wahabi terrorism"
indoctrinated "rubbish" in the minds of young people to carry
out terrorist attacks. He lamented that India had friendly
relations with a country that supported Wahabi terrorism.
Moily, in his address, said that terrorism cannot be
attributed to any particular religion.
Jethmalani said there have been Hindu terrorists and
Buddhist terrorists and it was unfortunate that the terrorist
that the world was talking about was mainly Muslim.
"But let me make it clear that I am a student of all
religions including Islam. I have the highest respect for the
prophet of Islam, he was a man of peace." PTI NAB
Terming Non-Aligned Movement and Panchsheel as evil, the
former Union Minister said India should align with forces of
good to combat the forces of evil. "India and its foreign
ministers must learn to reassess the doctrines of past."
He said India's foreign policy establishment should be
courageous to shun country's relationships with its "enemies".
Referring to Jethmalani's comments, Justice Awn S
Al-Khasawneh, a judge of the International Court of Justice,
asked him not "to make sweeping statements." PTI