Saudi clerics say Shi'ites destabilizing Muslim countries, blast Hizbullah
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Saudi Sunni clerics have accused Shi'ites of destabilizing Muslim countries and humiliating Sunnis who live under their control.
The clerics' statement specifically mentions Iran and Iraq. It also blasts Iranian-backed Shi'ite Hizbullah in Lebanon, saying it has tricked Muslims into believing it is anti-US and anti-Israel.
Hizbullah won admiration across the Arab world when it bombarded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets during a war in summer 2006.
But its popularity took a hit in some Arab countries when Hizbullah fighters seized control of large parts of predominantly Sunni areas in Beirut last month. Some Arab media have portrayed the Lebanese street fights as a Shi'ite incursion against Sunnis, a claim Hizbullah has denied.