NOVANEWS
By: Y. Admon*
On July 8, 2012, Saudi security forces the Shi’ite city of ‘Awamiya (in Al-Qatif governorate in the country’s Eastern Province) arrested senior Shi’ite cleric Nimr Bakr Al-Nimr. As on several occasions in the past, he was arrested for sedition after directing harsh criticism and invective at the Saudi royal family and demanding reforms in the kingdom. In the course of his arrest security officers shot him in the leg.
Saudi dailies justified the sheikh’s arrest, claiming that he has been inciting against the state and its citizens. Some columnists said that his incitement clearly indicated that he was a supporter of Iran, and others even accused him of employing terrorism similar to Al-Qaeda’s and called him a “Shi’ite bin Laden” reminiscent of Hizbullah. Satisfaction over his arrest was also expressed by Saudis on the social networks.
Al-Nimr’s arrest re-ignited the Shi’ite protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, including a protest in Al-Qatif in which three citizens were killed by security forces fire. It should be mentioned that the governorate has seen Shi’ite protests since March 2011 – the outbreak of the Arab Spring uprisings – and even before that. At first they were demonstrations in solidarity with the Shi’ite protests in Bahrain. Later, Shi’ites protested in demand to release prisoners and enact reforms in Saudi Arabia. In March this year, they demonstrated in solidarity with the student protests that erupted in the kingdom. Nine Shi’ite citizens were killed in the course of these protests, and 600 were arrested, 150 of whom are still in custody.
The latest wave of Shi’ite protests evoked reactions in Saudi Arabia and outside it, especially in Iran and Russia. As mentioned, Saudi dailies justified the arrest of Sheikh Al-Nimr, which had sparked the protests. As in the case of previous Shi’ite protests, they also claimed that foreign elements – hinting at Iran – were inciting the Shi’ites with the aim of undermining Saudi Arabia’s security. Iranian officials and regime mouthpieces assessed that the Saudi regime was on the brink of collapse, and Russian officials expressed concern over the state of human rights in the kingdom. The latter response was seen by Saudis as interference in their country’s affairs and sparked harsh criticism against Russia.
Shi’ite protests have also reemerged in Bahrain recently. July 24, 2012 saw clashes between security forces and hundreds of protesters demanding the release of prisoners, the resignation of the prime minister, the enacting of reforms, and an end to aggression by the security forces. Eye witnesses reported that the protesters threw fire bombs at the police, and that the latter used tear gas and that some protesters were injured. On the same day, the Bahraini foreign minister said in Paris that France would help Bahrain to enact judiciary and media reforms.
Saudi Arabia, which has long been concerned about the possible spread of the Arab Spring uprisings to its territory, is determined to contain the Shi’ite protests, lest they spark a sweeping uprising in the kingdom that could threaten the regime.
This report will review the events sparked in eastern Saudi Arabia by Al-Nimr’s arrest and the reactions to these events in Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as the Saudi-Russian media clash over this affair.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/
Special Dispatch No. 4869
Saudi Cleric Sa’d Al-Qa’ub: The CEDAW Agreement Sends Shivers Down Your Spine And Makes Your Hair Stand On End
Following are excerpts from an address by Saudi cleric Sa’d Al-Qa’ud, which was posted on the Internet on July 10, 2012.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/clip/en/
Sa’d Al-Qa’ud: “[CEDAW] means the elimination of all types of discrimination against women. In other words, it means complete and total equality between men and women. Allah says: ‘And the male is not like the female.’
“The danger of this agreement lies in its being an international agreement. That means, according to the tyrannical international law, that it supersedes all local constitutions. In fact, dear brothers, this agreement contradicts the so-called democracy.”
To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/
