Worshippers and residents crowd outside the Imam Ali Mosque.

There has been widespread condemnation of Friday’s suicide attack on a mosque in Qatif that left at least 21 people dead and more than 100 injured.

A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up inside the Imam Ali Mosque in the suburb of Quday in the province of Al-Qatif, where more than 150 people were performing Friday congregation prayers.

Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi said the act was a “heinous crime” and cannot be tolerated. He said his country believes in peace and rejects this “cowardly act of terrorism.”

“As a country, we stand by Saudi Arabia to help it maintain peace, security and stability in the Kingdom and the world,” Moshi said.

Sri Lankan Ambassador Mohamed Hussein Mohamed slammed the act as terrorism, which should not be allowed to grow in the Kingdom. “Saudi Arabia is a country where there is peace, security and stability.” He urged the government to arrest those involved in the incident.

Pakistan Ambassador Manzur Ul-Haq said: “We strongly condemn this act which cost the lives of many people and injured several others.” As a mark of respect to those who died, the Pakistan Embassy postponed an evening community function at its premises on Friday, he said.

A Muslim diplomat from Asia said that any form of violence inside a mosque cannot be tolerated. “The time has come to wage an all-out war on such crimes which affect the lives of the common man,” he said.

Musaed Al-Zayani, a Saud journalist based in Dubai, said that he believes foreigners are involved in the attack, who are intent on driving a wedge between Sunnis and Shiites to create civil disturbances in the country. “The government should take every measure to bring this situation under control,” he said.

Naif Al-Rasheed, a Riyadh-based Saudi journalist, said the Kingdom should take stern action against those wanting to disrupt the lives of people in public places.

Faiz Al-Najdi, a civil engineer and freelance journalist, said that killing innocent people cannot be tolerated by any right-thinking person. “The government should not show mercy to anyone found responsible for this crime,” Al-Najdi said.

Seyed Hamid Moulana, a freelance journalist, said: “We strongly condemn those behind the tragedy in the eastern part of the Kingdom. We believe there is a foreign hand involved to create unrest in this peaceful country. We are certain that patriotic citizens and loyal expatriates will stand solidly behind the security forces to maintain peace and harmony in the country.”

He said people should not be “misled by some mischievous foreign media houses that are hell bent on creating unrest in the region. We are absolutely certain that neither Saudis nor expatriates are hoodwinked by these kinds of unfortunate incidents resulting in innocent deaths. We repeat that there is a foreign hand involved and the truth will be revealed by the security forces very soon.”

Worshippers break down in the mosque.

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