The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Tawakkol Karman, criticized the exploitation of religion by the Saudi regime to achieve their goals. She said that two separations are required, the separation of the holy places from the exploitation of Al Saud and the separation of religion from their control.

On her official Facebook page, Tawakkol Karman pointed to a speech by the General Chief of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Mosque Affairs, AbdulRahman al-Sudais, in which he supported what the Saudi regime does against Saudi clerics and activists. Tawakkol said: “From the Grand Mosque and in Friday sermon, he renewed his loyalty to the princes of Al Saud family, the guide and well-guided, as he described them, and he blessed the abuse of Salman al-Odah and the rest of his comrades from the moderate preachers and activists and described them as traitors and advocates of sedition.”

Karman added: There is an urgent and legitimate question that arises in such situations, is this the house of Allah or the house of Al Saud?

Karman continued: This is exactly what we call the exploitation of religion by the rulers to serve their despicable goals.

Karman stressed that the call to separate religion from politics is not an end to religion and does not dispense with it. In its essence, it is an invitation to liberate the religion from the rulers and their exploitation, to free it from the priesthood and tyranny. 

Karman said that in all the countries which are plagued by the priesthood and the exploitation of religion by the rulers, the separation mentioned so far is required.