Al-Azhar denounces ‘heinous’ attempt to target Mecca after alleged Houthi drone attack

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has denounced the alleged Houthi drone attack targeting Mecca, describing the exposure of the holy city to danger as “a heinous crime” and “a sinful assault” on a sanctity honored by Allah.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis towards Mecca.

In a statement on Wednesday, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the largest and most prestigious Islamic religious and academic institution in the world, condemned the alleged attack.

“Al-Azhar Al-Sharif strongly condemns and denounces the attempt to target Makkah Al-Mukarramah—the qiblah of Muslims and the city toward which their hearts turn—affirming that exposing the Holy City to danger is a heinous crime and a sinful assault on a sanctity honored by Allah,” stated the institution.

Al-Azhar described it as a provocation to the feelings of Muslims in every corner of the world.

“Al-Azhar warns against the consequences of continuing to expand the scope of the conflict to the point of threatening Islamic holy sites, stressing that it is inconceivable for Makkah Al-Mukarramah to become a battleground or a target of threats,” said the institution, located in Cairo, Egypt.

“The sanctity of Makkah is a fundamental tenet of the faith of Islam and Muslims, which must not be violated or approached with any form of harm.”

Al-Azhar further emphasized that the security of the two holy mosques is not merely a political or regional matter; rather, it is an issue that concerns the faith of the entire Muslim Ummah.

“Targeting the Holy City or exposing it to danger is an affront to the feelings of two billion Muslims and an assault on the sanctity of holy sites toward which Muslims turn their hearts in prayer, and to which they travel from every distant land for pilgrimage,” said the institution.

“Muslims gather around these sacred sites despite differences in their countries, schools of thought, languages, and colors.”

Al-Azhar stressed that safeguarding the sanctity of Mecca and protecting its security and the safety of those who visit it is a responsibility that must be respected by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, regardless of the calculations of conflict and politics.

The alleged attack targeting Mecca was also condemned by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who described any act that threatens the safety and sanctity of Islam’s holiest city as “completely unacceptable and deeply offensive to the entire Muslim Ummah.”

He called for an immediate cessation of such attacks and urged all concerned to avoid further escalation and commit to the path of peace and dialogue.

The Houthis have previously denied targeting Mecca, saying that they do not target holy sites.