4 January 2016 – The Muslim Council of Britain today issued a call for greater intra-faith unity, particularly after a weekend of tensions in the Middle East, following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a Shia scholar, and 46 other individuals in the Kingdom.
“We are deeply concerned that this latest issue will serve to deepen sectarian tensions, particularly here in the United Kingdom. We must try harder, as brothers and sisters in faith, to work together and deepen unity between our Muslim communities. And we call on Saudi Arabia and Iran to redouble their efforts in pursuing peace in the region. We regret the execution of Sheikh Nimr and other Saudis over the weekend. It underscores again the human rights deficit throughout the Muslim world. Whether it is in Syria, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Saudi Arabia, we urge all Muslim countries to strive harder in abiding by universal human rights. “