(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - It is known that security forces usually deal with violence in a proportional manner. What we have seen in the demonstrations in Qatif last Thursday’s night are free-hand young men and women carrying the flags of the Kingdom and chanted to "peaceful, peaceful", the title of their demonstration, and caught pieces of paper spontaneously written on them their demand for releasing of the detainees since 1996 No one cheered to attack the regime or change the state with no foreign ties as others do.
So, we do not understand the reason behind using live ammunition and the motive behind the shooting. If the answer is to protect the security of people, many had fear and panic due to the sound of gunshots. Women and children rushed to their homes asking: what is going on?? If the aim was to disperse the demonstration, then there are many ways to do that without firing on people and violence.
In my opinion, Saudi Arabia should be the last state that uses bullets against its citizens. The Islamic world looks at Saudi Arabia as one of the leaders in having Islamic values and principles of tolerance and humanity, and these scenes harm the name of the state that none of the slogans of the demonstrators was targeting.
Perhaps this incident was meant to be a message to others who want the coup on the state and motivated by outside parties. But the people of Qatif, citizens and dignitaries of thinkers and intellectuals, writers and poets, have declared all that they seek only fixing the system not accepting any sabotage or coup. So, there should not be dragged into agendas that are away from their demands and slogans.
I record here my voice and appeal to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to accelerate the release of the nine prisoners. At least by the amnesty and humanitarian that King Abdullah is known to have. There is no harm to the State to release them, but each passing day they are in prison adds sorrow and pain to their families and children who have been hoping to see them back since 16 years.
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