Saudi Arabia’s binge of head-choppings – 47 in all, including the learned Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, followed by a Koranic justification for the executions – was worthy of Isis. Perhaps that was the point. For this extraordinary bloodbath in the land of the Sunni Muslim al-Saud monarchy – clearly intended to infuriate the Iranians and the entire Shia world – re-sectarianised a religious conflict which Isis has itself done so much to promote.
All that was missing was the video of the decapitations – although the Kingdom’s 158 beheadings last year were perfectly in tune with the Wahabi teachings of the ‘Islamic State’. Macbeth’s ‘blood will have blood’ certainly applies to the Saudis, whose ‘war on terror’, it seems, now justifies any amount of blood, both Sunni and Shia. But how often do the angels of God the Most Merciful appear to the present Saudi interior minister, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef?
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Profile of the cleric executed by Saudi Arabia
For Sheikh Nimr was not just any old divine. He spent years as a scholar in Tehran and Syria, was a revered Shia leader of Friday prayers in the Saudi Eastern Province, and a man who stayed clear of political parties but demanded free elections, and was regularly detained and tortured – by his own account – for opposing the Sunni Wahabi Saudi government. Sheikh Nimr said that words were more powerful than violence. The authorities’ whimsical suggestion that there was nothing sectarian about this most recent bloodbath – on the grounds that they beheaded Sunnis as well as Shias – was classic Isis rhetoric.
After all, Isis cuts the heads of Sunni ‘apostates’ and Sunni Syrian and Iraqi soldiers just as readily as it slaughters Shias. Sheikh Nimr would have got precisely the same treatment from the thugs of the ‘Islamic State’ as he got from the Saudis – though without the mockery of a pseudo-legal trial which Sheikh Nimr was afforded and of which Amnesty complained.
But the killings represent far more than just Saudi hatred for a cleric who rejoiced at the death of the former Saudi interior minister – Mohamed bin Nayef’s father, Crown Prince Nayef Abdul-Aziz al-Saud – with the hope that he would be “eaten by worms and will suffer the torments of hell in his grave”. Nimr’s execution will reinvigorate the Houthi rebellion in Yemen, which the Saudis invaded and bombed this year in an attempt to destroy Shia power there. It has enraged the Shia majority in Sunni-rules Bahrain. And Iran’s own clerics have already claimed that the beheading will cause the overthrow of the Saudi royal family.
It will also present the West with that most embarrassing of Middle Eastern problems: the continuing need to cringe and grovel to the rich and autocratic monarchs of the Gulf while gently expressing their unease at the grotesque butchery which the Saudi courts have just dished out to the Kingdom’s enemies. Had Isis chopped off the heads of Sunnis and Shias in Raqqa – especially that of a troublesome Shia priest like Sheikh Nimr – we can be sure that Dave Cameron would have been tweeting his disgust at so loathsome an act. But the man who lowered the British flag on the death of the last king of this preposterous Wahabi state will be using weasel words to address this bit of head-chopping.
However many Sunni al-Qaeda men have also just lost their heads – literally – to Saudi executioners, the question will be asked in both Washington and European capitals: are the Saudis trying to destroy the Iranian nuclear agreement by forcing their Western allies to support even these latest outrages? In the obtuse world in which they live – in which the youthful defence minister who invaded Yemen intensely dislikes the interior minister – the Saudis are still glorying in the ‘anti-terror’ coalition of 34 largely Sunni nations which supposedly form a legion of Muslims opposed to ‘terror’.
The executions were certainly an unprecedented Saudi way of welcoming in the New Year – if not quite as publicly spectacular as the firework display in Dubai which went ahead alongside the burning of one of the emirate’s finest hotels. Outside the political implications, however, there is also an obvious question to be asked – in the Arab world itself — of the self-perpetuating House of Saud: have the Kingdom’s rulers gone bonkers?
SOURCE:
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia, The Muslim Times, United Arab Emirates
Could not agree more.
I kindly urge Muslim Ahmadiyah to reject the ancient Islamic laws such as;
1. The sentence of flogging, beheading, cut off hand at front of public.
2. women have to wear Hijab, Burqa or veil
3. Muslim forbid to eat meat that slaughtered by non Islam.
4. Muslim advocate Islamic Bank, Islamic state, Islamic Airline etc
5. Muslim forbid marry with non Muslim
6. Non Muslim is forbidden to hold a position in Government
7. etc
I strongly urge Muslim Ahmadiyah work together with Musim Progressive to improve image Islam that has tarnished by extremist Muslim.
CIVILIZATION/HUMANITY.
The more advanced civilization is, the more subtle sense of humanity should become and less stringent restrictions should be. Or the more civilized a society becomes, the more high the sense of humanity and less savagery/sadism/ harsh one becomes.
Now we as Muslim live in 21sr Century, the era of High-tech-Information which is there is no boundary between two countries anymore. The high – Tech like Internet can unite all people around the world, even in one second we can send a message or photos to relative or friends who live in others country.
Most Muslim scholars around the world feel proud to hold up the ancient tradition or ancient Islamic laws such above including Terrorist Muslim such as Taliban, Al qaida, Boko Haram, IS.ISIS etc.
If we, educated Muslim who live in pluralistic countries should lead Muslim fix the bad image of Islam that we see today. if we do not do this, who will does? Non Muslims can not fix Islamic teaching.this is Muslim problem, only Muslim the one who has the right to fix this problem we are facing today.
Hopefully, with Allah’s wills, Muslim Ahmadiyah’s scholars can listen my voice here. Amen
Was Salam
With my love
The fruit of decades of hate teaching between Sunni and Shia, is coming to the fruition, very sad, pity, heartbreaking and embarrassing. Millions innocent people have been suffering and killed. More people get killed years ahead.
These extremist Muslim scholars Sunni and Shia never learn a lesson from the conflict between Catholic and Protestant 700 years ago. NOW both can live in peace, harmony and dignity. Because both sides accept the differences between them, respect and love each other. Both sides obey Human Right, treat all people fairly.
Also these Extremist scholars both said reject Allah’s laws as following;
Love your neighbor as you love your self–if you keep hating and devouring each other–and then watch out you will be destroyed one another.
Muslim Scholars should take responsibility for destroying humanity, showing the bad Islamic image.
Love is the seed of peace, and happiness, but hatred is the seed of the darkness or Evil, and violence.
I urge all Educated Muslims around the world to speak up loudly to stop killing innocent people and then seek peace in 2016.
With all love–Was salam
Iran / Saudi conflict has nothing to Do with Religion. It is Not a Sunni / Shiah conflict. Or is simply a power struggle. Did the Saudis ever try to convert a Shiah to their version of Islam? No.
@ Rafiq–where do you live–You do not know the fact on the ground.
Extremist Muslim often destroy the mosque belong to Shia in Indonesia, India, Pakistan etc. Even they often kill Muslim Shia as same as they kill Muslim Ahmadiyah.
Extresmist Muslim Sunni hate Shia, and Ahmadiyah
They discriminate against Shia and Ahmadiyah in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Islamic countries.
They accuse Muslims Shia are not Muslim, the same as they accuse Muslim Ahmadiyah are not Islam.
This fact can not be denied Rafiq?
So as long as Extremist Scholars keep hating and do not accept the different interpretation of Islam, there will be NO peace in Islamic countries for sure.
We hope Muslim scholars both side obey Human Right and treat all people fairly regardless his belief and race.
Was Salam and love
@ Rafiq–wrote == is simply a power struggle.===
Yes I agree—Muslim Sunni want to take Syaria from Shia (Ashaad)—same as Yemen—Bahrain—etc.
Ashaad are struggling for his life, and for religious minorities. If Sunni take over Syria, the religious minorities ( Christian, Shia, etc ) will be discriminated as we see in Saudi Arabia. There is no freedom of speech, religion, and expression.
This is also the fact Rafiq, can’t be denied.
The permanent peace can be achieved if Saudi Arabia with gulf States and Iran obey human right, ad treat all people fairly as we see in the Western countries and America.
People of all religions and non religions can live in peace, harmony, dignity and every one has the right to pursue his dream and happiness according to his belief. Is it not nice, Rafiq? That is the true Islamic life.
Was Salam–and love