Saudi condemns ‘terrorist, criminal’ shootings in Denmark, U.S.

Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the “heinous, terrorist and criminal” incidents when a shootout took place during a panel discussion about Islam and free speech in the Danish capital Copenhagen, and the earlier murder of three Muslim Americans in North Carolina.

“Saudi Arabia reaffirms its position and calls for the need to respect religions, human beliefs, not prejudicing religious symbols and not inciting against Muslims,” Saudi’s state news agency (SPA) said.

It added: “[Saudi Arabia] stresses its rejection of all heinous terrorist and criminal acts in all their forms and manifestations, and any source or belief that stands behind them.”

The news agency also said that Saudi Arabia “offers its condolences to the families of the victims of terrorism and their relatives, wishing the injured people a speedy recovery.”

Saudi Arabia’s denunciation comes after a man, who was the sole perpetrator of two fatal attacks that left two people dead in the Danish capital, was shot and killed by police.

Police said video surveillance indicated the man was behind an attack at a panel discussion about Islam and free speech in which one man died on Saturday and the shooting of another man outside Copenhagen’s main synagogue early Sunday.

In North Carolina, police charged a neighbor with Tuesday’s shooting in the town of Chapel Hill of Deah Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha, 19, saying the incident followed a dispute over parking.

But investigators said they were also looking into whether the suspect, Craig Stephen Hicks, was motivated by hatred toward the victims because they were Muslim.