Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais

(1960-)

Imam in Mecca

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Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz al-Sudais (Arabic: عَبْدُ ٱلْرَّحْمَن إبْن عَبْدُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلسُّدَيْس‎, ʻAbd ar-Rahman ibn ʻAbd al-Aziz as-Sudais; born 10 February 1960 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is the imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia; the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques; a renowned qāriʾ (reciter of the Qur'an); and was the Dubai International Holy Qur'an Award's "Islamic Personality Of the Year" in 2005. Al-Sudais has preached Islam's opposition to "explosions and terrorism", and has called for peaceful inter-faith dialogue, but also been sharply criticized for vilifying non-Muslims and especially Jews in his sermons. He has denounced the treatment of Palestinians by Israeli settlers and the state of Israel, and called for more aid to be sent to Palestinians. He has also been noted for identifying women's un-Islamic behavior as in part responsible for the winter 2006 drought in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, he delivered the very important Hajj sermon to a multitude of pilgrims gathered at Arafat after prayers.