Saudi Arabians declare jihad on Russian forces as global proxy war in Syria intensifies

The government forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as Russian forces now backing him, have a new enemy: Saudi Arabia’s clerics.

As reported by the UK’s Daily Mail, in recent days the clerics declared jihad against Russian and Syrian forces following a plea to all Sunni Muslims to join in the fight against Assad.  

In all, more than 50 clerics and academics signed a joint statement that calls on Sunnis – Saudi Arabia’s dominant sect – to “hurry” into war-torn Syria to assist those seeking to topple Assad’s government.

The Daily Mail reported that the call to Sunnis came just before a pair of rockets were launched at the Russian embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, an Assad stronghold, which alarmed many who had gathered in support of Moscow’s intervention.  Read more