HOLY MAKKAH, Saudi Arabia: Rasid news has reported that the former Imam of Holy Mosque in Makkah Shaikh Adel Al-Kalbani refused to accept that his infidel statements against Shia Muslims were the reason for excluding him from Imam Position in Holy Mosque in Makka this year.

According to UPI Al-Kalbani said: "Head of Haramain Affairs did not appoint me this year for Imam position and there is no genuine reason of dispute over certain issue."

"Last year my appointment came from the officials and atop of them is King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz," Al-Kalbani added.

Al-Kalbani said that he did not receive any comments from high officials in the State against his evil statement toward Shia.

In the evening of Monday, May 4, 2009, the BBC Arabic Channel broadcasted a live interview with Adel AlKalbani, the Imam of the Holy Mosque in Makkah, in which he explicitly called Shiite Muslims as infidels because of not following the Sunni trend. He did not clear himself from religious intolerance and extremism.