(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - According to a Monday report by the information website of the IRI Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, the Saudi Police patrol units have turned on their flashlights and begun maneuvering in the holy city’s streets to put on display a power show.
Such security measures are so intensified that even the forces of “Qowat ul-Aman” or Security Forces, too, whose mission is heeding the emergency police duties, have driven their vehicles up to the courtyard of the Holy Prophet’s Shrine and parked them right there!
Such a situation had first been observed some three weeks ago when rumors on the health conditions of the Saudi King Abdullah bin-Abdul Aziz had spread in the society, but further intensified as of the ending days of the past week.
During the past few days, including last Friday and this week’s Sunday, too, some news agencies dispatched news about the occurrence of some cases of unrest in Holy Medina.
Stationing of anti-riot police units in Medina is mainly observed in southern and southwest side of the city which are more densely populated.
Meanwhile, news items from the eastern province of Saudi Arabia are about the ongoing anti-government protest rallies despite serious police crackdown.
Friday Prayer Leader of Holy Najaf had on Friday condemned suppression of Shi’a Muslims in Saudi Arabia, and arresting of renowned Shi’a clergy Sheikh Nimr Abdullah Nimr, calling those moves war against Shi’a Muslims.
Sadreddin al-Qamabji added in his Friday prayer sermon at Al-Fatemiyeh Hosseiniyeh of the Holy Najaf, “The prevailing atmosphere and ongoing events in Saudi Araia are an undeclared sectarian war launched against Shi’a Muslims whose last POW is Sheikh Nimr Abdullah al-Nimr, a Shi’a clergy from al-Sharqiyya region, along with a number of peaceful demonstrators.”
Addressing hundreds of worshippers at the Friday Prayer ritual, he said, “It would be more appropriate for Riadh government to mover towards a multi-party system and freedom of religion and culture, ending its suppression policy, which would bear no fruit for that regime.”
He further reiterated, “We seriously condemn the sectarian suppression policy pursued throughout Saudi Arabia, particularly observed against the Shi’a Muslims who are the followers of the Holy Household of the Prophet (s.a.w.w), in al-Sharqiyyah region.”
The Friday prayers leader of Holy Najaf meanwhile asked the Saudi Shi’as to observe patience under the tough conditions they are living, and to remain resorting meely to legal moves only.
Shiekh Sadreddin al-Qabanji also asked the Saudi government to free the Shi’a celergy Sheikh Nimr, and the rest of the innocent arrested Shi’as, as soon as possible.
Security forces of ale-Saud regime on Monday arrested the renowned and dissident Shi’a clergy, Sheikh Namr in east Saudi Arabia.
He arrest led to massive protestws in Shi’a residing regions of that country in whose course two people got killed hit in shooting of the Saudi security forces and a number of the demonstrators, too, got wounded and/or arrested.
Shi’a unrest in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province appears to be growing.
Two recent reports, including interesting amateur films of demonstrations and some violence, can be found in this Arab web site.
The proximate cause of the unrest is clear: Saudi security forces shot, killed and wounded, while arresting, Shi’a leader Nimr al-Nimr last week after he called the death of the late Minister of the Interior and Crown Prince, Nayef, a cause for celebration. The deeper cause is Shi’a unhappiness with what they view as discrimination and indeed repression by the Saudi authorities.
This violence will have repercussions in Bahrain. Whether or not it leads to more protests by Bahraini Shi’a Muslims, it will likely lead the Saudis to press the Bahraini government for more repressive measures rather than more compromise.
In the long run Shi’a complaints about second-class citizenship in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cannot be successfully dealt with by arrests and repression. Compromise will have to come or more violence will.
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