26 April 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
Saudi court sentenced on Friday a woman for 180 lashes and 8 months
in prison for on charges of driving a car and attacking security
officers.
SABQ online newspaper said that the security officers [private
right litigants] attended the trial and demanded the enforcement of
laws against the defendant.
According to the newspaper, the defendants appealed the ruling. Her
appeal was overturned by the Attorney General, the ruling was approved
by the Court of Appeal and turned to executive authorities for
enforcement.
The newspaper did not mention the name or the identity of the
suspect. Saudi Authorities did not issue an official statement regarding
the case.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/11111-saudi-woman-sentenced-to-180-lashes-and-8-months-in-jail-for-driving-a-car.
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Mecca for the rich: Islam’s holiest site ‘turning into Vegas’
January 17, 2014
Source:World Observer Online
Behind closed doors – in places where the religious police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca are beginning to refer to their city as Las Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.
Over the past 10 years the holiest site in Islam has undergone a huge transformation, one that has divided opinion among Muslims all over the world.
Once a dusty desert town struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number of pilgrims arriving for the annual Hajj, the city now soars above its surroundings with a glittering array of skyscrapers, shopping malls and luxury hotels.
To the al-Saud monarchy, Mecca is their vision of the future – a steel and concrete metropolis built on the proceeds of enormous oil wealth that showcases their national pride.
Yet growing numbers of citizens, particularly those living in the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina, have looked on aghast as the nation’s archaeological heritage is trampled under a construction mania backed by hardline clerics who preach against the preservation of their own heritage. Mecca, once a place where the Prophet Mohamed insisted all Muslims would be equal, has become a playground for the rich, critics say, where naked capitalism has usurped spirituality as the city’s raison d’être.
Few are willing to discuss their fears openly because of the risks associated with criticising official policy in the authoritarian kingdom. And, with the exceptions of Turkey and Iran, fellow Muslim nations have largely held their tongues for fear of of a diplomatic fallout and restrictions on their citizens’ pilgrimage visas. Western archaeologists are silent out of fear that the few sites they are allowed access to will be closed to them.
But a number of prominent Saudi archaeologists and historians are speaking up in the belief that the opportunity to save Saudi Arabia’s remaining historical sites is closing fast.
“No one has the balls to stand up and condemn this cultural vandalism,” says Dr Irfan al-Alawi who, as executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, has fought in vain to protect his country’s historical sites. “We have already lost 400-500 sites. I just hope it’s not too late to turn things around.”
Sami Angawi, a renowned Saudi expert on the region’s Islamic architecture, is equally concerned. “This is an absolute contradiction to the nature of Mecca and the sacredness of the house of God,” he told the Reuters news agency earlier this year. “Both [Mecca and Medina] are historically almost finished. You do not find anything except skyscrapers.”
Dr Alawi’s most pressing concern is the planned £690m expansion of the Grand Mosque, the most sacred site in Islam which contains the Kaaba – the black stone cube built by Ibrahim (Abraham) that Muslims face when they pray.
Construction officially began earlier this month with the country’s Justice Minister, Mohammed al-Eissa, exclaiming that the project would respect “the sacredness and glory of the location, which calls for the highest care and attention of the servants or Islam and Muslims”.
The 400,000 square metre development is being built to accommodate an extra 1.2 million pilgrims each year and will turn the Grand Mosque into the largest religious structure in the world. But the Islamic Heritage Foundation has compiled a list of key historical sites that they believe are now at risk from the ongoing development of Mecca, including the old Ottoman and Abbasi sections of the Grand Mosque, the house where the Prophet Mohamed was born and the house where his paternal uncle Hamza grew up.
There is little argument that Mecca and Medina desperately need infrastructure development. Twelve million pilgrims visit the cities every year with the numbers expected to increase to 17 million by 2025.
But critics fear that the desire to expand the pilgrimage sites has allowed the authorities to ride roughshod over the area’s cultural heritage. The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of Mecca’s millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades alone.
The destruction has been aided by Wahabism, the austere interpretation of Islam that has served as the kingdom’s official religion ever since the al-Sauds rose to power across the Arabian Peninsula in the 19th century.
In the eyes of Wahabis, historical sites and shrines encourage “shirq” – the sin of idolatry or polytheism – and should be destroyed. When the al-Saud tribes swept through Mecca in the 1920s, the first thing they did was lay waste to cemeteries holding many of Islam’s important figures. They have been destroying the country’s heritage ever since. Of the three sites the Saudis have allowed the UN to designate World Heritage Sites, none are related to Islam.
Those circling the Kaaba only need to look skywards to see the latest example of the Saudi monarchy’s insatiable appetite for architectural bling. At 1,972ft, the Royal Mecca Clock Tower, opened earlier this year, soars over the surrounding Grand Mosque, part of an enormous development of skyscrapers that will house five-star hotels for the minority of pilgrims rich enough to afford them.
To build the skyscraper city, the authorities dynamited an entire mountain and the Ottoman era Ajyad Fortress that lay on top of it. At the other end of the Grand Mosque complex, the house of the Prophet’s first wife Khadijah has been turned into a toilet block. The fate of the house he was born in is uncertain. Also planned for demolition are the Grand Mosque’s Ottoman columns which dare to contain the names of the Prophet’s companions, something hardline Wahabis detest.
For ordinary Meccans living in the mainly Ottoman-era town houses that make up much of what remains of the old city, development often means the loss of their family home.
Non-Muslims cannot visit Mecca and Medina, but The Independent was able to interview a number of citizens who expressed discontent over the way their town was changing. One young woman whose father recently had his house bulldozed described how her family was still waiting for compensation. “There was very little warning; they just came and told him that the house had to be bulldozed,” she said.
Another Meccan added: “If a prince of a member of the royal family wants to extend his palace he just does it. No one talks about it in public though. There’s such a climate of fear.”
Dr Alawi hopes the international community will finally begin to wake up to what is happening in the cradle of Islam. “We would never allow someone to destroy the Pyramids, so why are we letting Islam’s history disappear?”
Source:World Observer Online
Behind closed doors – in places where the religious police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca are beginning to refer to their city as Las Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.
Over the past 10 years the holiest site in Islam has undergone a huge transformation, one that has divided opinion among Muslims all over the world.
Once a dusty desert town struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number of pilgrims arriving for the annual Hajj, the city now soars above its surroundings with a glittering array of skyscrapers, shopping malls and luxury hotels.
To the al-Saud monarchy, Mecca is their vision of the future – a steel and concrete metropolis built on the proceeds of enormous oil wealth that showcases their national pride.
Yet growing numbers of citizens, particularly those living in the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina, have looked on aghast as the nation’s archaeological heritage is trampled under a construction mania backed by hardline clerics who preach against the preservation of their own heritage. Mecca, once a place where the Prophet Mohamed insisted all Muslims would be equal, has become a playground for the rich, critics say, where naked capitalism has usurped spirituality as the city’s raison d’être.
Few are willing to discuss their fears openly because of the risks associated with criticising official policy in the authoritarian kingdom. And, with the exceptions of Turkey and Iran, fellow Muslim nations have largely held their tongues for fear of of a diplomatic fallout and restrictions on their citizens’ pilgrimage visas. Western archaeologists are silent out of fear that the few sites they are allowed access to will be closed to them.
But a number of prominent Saudi archaeologists and historians are speaking up in the belief that the opportunity to save Saudi Arabia’s remaining historical sites is closing fast.
“No one has the balls to stand up and condemn this cultural vandalism,” says Dr Irfan al-Alawi who, as executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, has fought in vain to protect his country’s historical sites. “We have already lost 400-500 sites. I just hope it’s not too late to turn things around.”
Sami Angawi, a renowned Saudi expert on the region’s Islamic architecture, is equally concerned. “This is an absolute contradiction to the nature of Mecca and the sacredness of the house of God,” he told the Reuters news agency earlier this year. “Both [Mecca and Medina] are historically almost finished. You do not find anything except skyscrapers.”
Dr Alawi’s most pressing concern is the planned £690m expansion of the Grand Mosque, the most sacred site in Islam which contains the Kaaba – the black stone cube built by Ibrahim (Abraham) that Muslims face when they pray.
Construction officially began earlier this month with the country’s Justice Minister, Mohammed al-Eissa, exclaiming that the project would respect “the sacredness and glory of the location, which calls for the highest care and attention of the servants or Islam and Muslims”.
The 400,000 square metre development is being built to accommodate an extra 1.2 million pilgrims each year and will turn the Grand Mosque into the largest religious structure in the world. But the Islamic Heritage Foundation has compiled a list of key historical sites that they believe are now at risk from the ongoing development of Mecca, including the old Ottoman and Abbasi sections of the Grand Mosque, the house where the Prophet Mohamed was born and the house where his paternal uncle Hamza grew up.
There is little argument that Mecca and Medina desperately need infrastructure development. Twelve million pilgrims visit the cities every year with the numbers expected to increase to 17 million by 2025.
But critics fear that the desire to expand the pilgrimage sites has allowed the authorities to ride roughshod over the area’s cultural heritage. The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of Mecca’s millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades alone.
The destruction has been aided by Wahabism, the austere interpretation of Islam that has served as the kingdom’s official religion ever since the al-Sauds rose to power across the Arabian Peninsula in the 19th century.
In the eyes of Wahabis, historical sites and shrines encourage “shirq” – the sin of idolatry or polytheism – and should be destroyed. When the al-Saud tribes swept through Mecca in the 1920s, the first thing they did was lay waste to cemeteries holding many of Islam’s important figures. They have been destroying the country’s heritage ever since. Of the three sites the Saudis have allowed the UN to designate World Heritage Sites, none are related to Islam.
Those circling the Kaaba only need to look skywards to see the latest example of the Saudi monarchy’s insatiable appetite for architectural bling. At 1,972ft, the Royal Mecca Clock Tower, opened earlier this year, soars over the surrounding Grand Mosque, part of an enormous development of skyscrapers that will house five-star hotels for the minority of pilgrims rich enough to afford them.
To build the skyscraper city, the authorities dynamited an entire mountain and the Ottoman era Ajyad Fortress that lay on top of it. At the other end of the Grand Mosque complex, the house of the Prophet’s first wife Khadijah has been turned into a toilet block. The fate of the house he was born in is uncertain. Also planned for demolition are the Grand Mosque’s Ottoman columns which dare to contain the names of the Prophet’s companions, something hardline Wahabis detest.
For ordinary Meccans living in the mainly Ottoman-era town houses that make up much of what remains of the old city, development often means the loss of their family home.
Non-Muslims cannot visit Mecca and Medina, but The Independent was able to interview a number of citizens who expressed discontent over the way their town was changing. One young woman whose father recently had his house bulldozed described how her family was still waiting for compensation. “There was very little warning; they just came and told him that the house had to be bulldozed,” she said.
Another Meccan added: “If a prince of a member of the royal family wants to extend his palace he just does it. No one talks about it in public though. There’s such a climate of fear.”
Dr Alawi hopes the international community will finally begin to wake up to what is happening in the cradle of Islam. “We would never allow someone to destroy the Pyramids, so why are we letting Islam’s history disappear?”
Under Threat
Bayt al-Mawlid
When the Wahabis took Mecca in the 1920s they destroyed the dome on top of the house where the Prophet Mohammed was born. It was thenused as a cattle market before being turned into a library after a campaign by Meccans. There are concerns that the expansion of the Grand Mosque will destroy it once more. The site has never been excavated by archaeologists.
Ottoman and Abasi columns of the Grand Mosque
Slated for demolition as part of the Grand Mosque expansion, these intricately carved columns date back to the 17th century and are the oldest surviving sections of Islam’s holiest site. Much to the chagrin of Wahabis, they are inscribed with the names of the Prophet’s companions. Ottomon Mecca is now rapidly disappearing
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
For many years, hardline Wahabi clerics have had their sites set on the 15th century green dome that rests above the tomb holding the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar in Medina. The mosque is regarded as the second holiest site in Islam. Wahabis, however, believe marked graves are idolatrous. A pamphlet published in 2007 by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, endorsed by Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, stated that “the green dome shall be demolished and the three graves flattened in the Prophet’s Masjid”.
Jabal al-Nour
A mountain outside Mecca where Mohammed received his first Koranic revelations. The Prophet used to spend long spells in a cave called Hira. The cave is particularly popular among South Asian pilgrims who have carved steps up to its entrance and adorned the walls with graffiti. Religious hardliners are keen to dissuade pilgrims from congregating there and have mooted the idea of removing the steps and even destroying the mountain altogether.
Link: http://worldobserveronline.com/2014/01/17/mecca-rich-islams-holiest-site-turning-vegas/.
Bayt al-Mawlid
When the Wahabis took Mecca in the 1920s they destroyed the dome on top of the house where the Prophet Mohammed was born. It was thenused as a cattle market before being turned into a library after a campaign by Meccans. There are concerns that the expansion of the Grand Mosque will destroy it once more. The site has never been excavated by archaeologists.
Ottoman and Abasi columns of the Grand Mosque
Slated for demolition as part of the Grand Mosque expansion, these intricately carved columns date back to the 17th century and are the oldest surviving sections of Islam’s holiest site. Much to the chagrin of Wahabis, they are inscribed with the names of the Prophet’s companions. Ottomon Mecca is now rapidly disappearing
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
For many years, hardline Wahabi clerics have had their sites set on the 15th century green dome that rests above the tomb holding the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar in Medina. The mosque is regarded as the second holiest site in Islam. Wahabis, however, believe marked graves are idolatrous. A pamphlet published in 2007 by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, endorsed by Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, stated that “the green dome shall be demolished and the three graves flattened in the Prophet’s Masjid”.
Jabal al-Nour
A mountain outside Mecca where Mohammed received his first Koranic revelations. The Prophet used to spend long spells in a cave called Hira. The cave is particularly popular among South Asian pilgrims who have carved steps up to its entrance and adorned the walls with graffiti. Religious hardliners are keen to dissuade pilgrims from congregating there and have mooted the idea of removing the steps and even destroying the mountain altogether.
Link: http://worldobserveronline.com/2014/01/17/mecca-rich-islams-holiest-site-turning-vegas/.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Have GCC countries reached reconciliation?
19 April 2014
Source: alarabiya.net
Statements released following the latest meeting between foreign ministers of the GCC countries in Riyadh said the diplomats conducted “an overall review of the procedures in place pertaining to foreign and security policies,” and that the group “agreed to adopt mechanisms to guarantee a collective framework and to ensure that policies of any of the GCC countries would not affect the interests, security and stability of the countries, nor undermine their sovereignty.”
In this regard, the diplomats have confirmed their respective countries' agreement on the ways to implement the Riyadh agreement, which is based on the principles of the GCC statute.
Of course, it is impossible that anyone can truly understand these statements without using an interpreter. Vagueness is our preferred language in the Gulf, relying on signs, and a sign is all that a free man needs to understand.
Prior to Kuwaiti mediation, the dispute was quickly slipping into a point of no return after three countries recalled their ambassadors from Qatar in protest and there were plans to impose sanctions, a move which would extend far beyond the previous symbolic and diplomatic measures.
The expression of “strict implementation” shows us that there are specific measures that need to be taken and that there is a team who is responsible for overseeing the implementation. Without announcing the annexes of the agreement, the door will remain open to speculate on the banned and tolerated activities.
The disputes between GCC countries are as wide as the map of the Middle East; from Egypt to Yemen, Syria, Libya and Tunisia, but the hidden disputes can go as deep as sovereignty itself!
Whether the Riyadh agreement represents a true reconciliation between the countries or is just simply pacification, the leaders of the GCC countries have a major responsibility to admit that the value of their council is greater than their trillions’ rich investment funds, established for rainy days. In the days of calm, it’s easy to mess with relations and turn differences into greater disputes and political games, but nobody knows when the dark clouds will accumulate and a storm will hit.
The stability of the GCC countries is a very important element, not only to its people, but to the region as a whole; a region that’s in desperate need for a safety net and stability. And if these forces, which might look weak and calm, decided to join hands and unify their policies, they could change the face of the region for the better.
This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on April 19, 2014.
____________________
Abdulrahman al-Rashed is the General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel. A veteran and internationally acclaimed journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of the London-based leading Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, where he still regularly writes a political column. He has also served as the editor of Asharq al-Awsat’s sister publication, al-Majalla. Throughout his career, Rashed has interviewed several world leaders, with his articles garnering worldwide recognition, and he has successfully led Al Arabiya to the highly regarded, thriving and influential position it is in today.
Last Update: Saturday, 19 April 2014
Link: alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2014/04/19/Have-GCC-countries-reached-reconciliation-.html.
Source: alarabiya.net
Statements released following the latest meeting between foreign ministers of the GCC countries in Riyadh said the diplomats conducted “an overall review of the procedures in place pertaining to foreign and security policies,” and that the group “agreed to adopt mechanisms to guarantee a collective framework and to ensure that policies of any of the GCC countries would not affect the interests, security and stability of the countries, nor undermine their sovereignty.”
In this regard, the diplomats have confirmed their respective countries' agreement on the ways to implement the Riyadh agreement, which is based on the principles of the GCC statute.
Of course, it is impossible that anyone can truly understand these statements without using an interpreter. Vagueness is our preferred language in the Gulf, relying on signs, and a sign is all that a free man needs to understand.
The stability of the GCC countries is a very important element, not only to its people, but to the region as a whole; a region that’s in desperate need for a safety net and stability. And if these forces, which might look weak and calm, decided to join hands and unify their policies, they could change the face of the region for the better.In fact, decrypting the statement is quite a difficult task. How would someone understand the meaning of “agreeing on the importance of the strict implementation of the commitments undertaken” when the statement doesn’t define what should be implemented and what commitments were made?
Abdulrahman al-Rashed
Kuwaiti mediation
It goes without saying that Kuwait played a positive role to stop the defragmentation of the GCC council, the last stable entity in the region.Prior to Kuwaiti mediation, the dispute was quickly slipping into a point of no return after three countries recalled their ambassadors from Qatar in protest and there were plans to impose sanctions, a move which would extend far beyond the previous symbolic and diplomatic measures.
The expression of “strict implementation” shows us that there are specific measures that need to be taken and that there is a team who is responsible for overseeing the implementation. Without announcing the annexes of the agreement, the door will remain open to speculate on the banned and tolerated activities.
Gulf stability
Some of the reasons behind the dispute between Qatar and its three GCC peers, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain, are known and publicly debated, and are possibly the easiest to resolve. Others, however, are less palpable and could lead to the collapse of the GCC and the Gulf front.The disputes between GCC countries are as wide as the map of the Middle East; from Egypt to Yemen, Syria, Libya and Tunisia, but the hidden disputes can go as deep as sovereignty itself!
Whether the Riyadh agreement represents a true reconciliation between the countries or is just simply pacification, the leaders of the GCC countries have a major responsibility to admit that the value of their council is greater than their trillions’ rich investment funds, established for rainy days. In the days of calm, it’s easy to mess with relations and turn differences into greater disputes and political games, but nobody knows when the dark clouds will accumulate and a storm will hit.
The stability of the GCC countries is a very important element, not only to its people, but to the region as a whole; a region that’s in desperate need for a safety net and stability. And if these forces, which might look weak and calm, decided to join hands and unify their policies, they could change the face of the region for the better.
This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on April 19, 2014.
____________________
Abdulrahman al-Rashed is the General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel. A veteran and internationally acclaimed journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of the London-based leading Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, where he still regularly writes a political column. He has also served as the editor of Asharq al-Awsat’s sister publication, al-Majalla. Throughout his career, Rashed has interviewed several world leaders, with his articles garnering worldwide recognition, and he has successfully led Al Arabiya to the highly regarded, thriving and influential position it is in today.
Last Update: Saturday, 19 April 2014
Link: alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2014/04/19/Have-GCC-countries-reached-reconciliation-.html.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
First Saudi Lady joins the 'ID Revolution'
Source: latheeffarook.com
from Middleeastmonitor
from Middleeastmonitor
The
first Saudi lady joined the "ID Revolution" in which a number of Saudi
citizens posted separately posts in YouTube attacking the regime. The
following is a translation of the clip posted on Youtube by a lady
calling herself Ali'niziyah (From the tribe of '): English translation of the video below.
In
the name of God. Praise be to god and peace of God and His Prayers be
upon the Messenger of God. Praise be to God, Praise be to Gad, Praise be
to God until Praise reaches Him. I have been extremely delighted as I
followed the recordings made by the young men of the land of the two
Shrines, with such courage and boldness, in which they uttered the word
of truth without hesitation or flattery. Each time someone spoke his
wordswere stronger than his predecessor in terms of meaning, clarity and
defiance of oppression. I hereby, in turn, join them and say the
following:
First,
I begin with expressing support for these young men and commending them
for speaking the truth out. Frankly, I had been concerned about our
country because those who spoke the truth in it were few and they had
already been held in the prisons. Yet, here they are competing to speak
the truth without fearing the wrath of the oppressor or his prisons or
the courts of oppression and tyranny.
I
would not add much if I were to talk about unemployment, poverty,
housing problems, the loss of rights, bad services, fees, penalties (for
violations), and inflation, etc. All the people know that this is the
reality.
Whoever says anything to the contrary knows he is lying, is a hypocrite and is simply paying lip service to those in authority.
Nor
would I be adding much if I said that whoever speaks out the truth will
be imprisoned and tortured and his reputation will be smeared.
Nor
would I be adding much if I said that the judiciary is corrupt and is
being manipulated by the princes so as to enable them to rob people of
their rights and is being manipulated by the authority so as to inflict
its punishment on whoever it wishes in the name of religion.
Nor
would I be adding much if I were to say that the country is full of
financial corruption, administrative corruption, red tape, nepotism and
illusionary projects that wasted billions, even trillions, to no avail.
Nor would I be adding anything new if I were to say that the country is full of immorality, crime and drugs.
However,
I might be adding (new things) by saying that those who stand behind
all of this corruption, oppression and manipulation of religion are the
House of Saud.
Until
when shall we continue to fool ourselves and blame it all on the
entourage? By God Almighty, those who accuse the entourage know well
that the House of Saud are behind all of this. Yet, they continue to do
this putt of tuqyah (knowing that what they conceal contradicts what
they reveal).
I
tell you, believe me, that the talk about the entourage in this way
only serves to protect and vindicate the oppressor. I would not rule out
the possibility, I would even say it firmly, that the oppressor is
happy to see the blame put squarely on the entourage. It is possible,
even surely, that it is the oppressor that propagates and spreads this
idea believing that such talk would contain people's anger and
frustration.
This,
indeed, is what is happening. Whenever you sit in the presence of a
group of people you hear them blaming it on the entourage, although they
know real well that it is the oppressive House of Saudi that stand
behind all of this and not the entourage. The entourage goes and comes
while the House of Saud is always there (going nowhere).
The
real issue is that we should declare it for all to hear: the problem
lies with you, House of Saud. There is no solution to our disasters,
catastrophes and the decline of our country except your departure. That
is it. There is no other solution.
Those
who care have been cautioning you for more than twenty years but the
situation only continued to deteriorate. And now, where are those who
cared? They are all inside prison.
Therefore, there is no solution except that you can effect yourselves, O people of the peninsula.
Prior
to these recordings I was sad that our people had not moved like the
rest of the peoples (in the region). But after the recordings (started
appearing) I came to the conclusion that the matter is drawing close.
You,
young men of the land of the two Shrines, who have earned testimony
from the arenas of heroism across the globe, in that you were the first
to take part and the bravest among those who took part (in Jihad)
everywhere, it is time you are testified for by your own homeland.
It
is time the land of the Peninsula testified for you and your heroic
acts. You should get ready to move whether by means of making recordings
like these or through other means. You are all obliged, religiously, to
make a move. The saying of the Prophet Peace be upon him "who he sees
an evil should endeavour to remove it" applies to all. It does apply to
all without exception and no one is excused. Do not hesitate.
Do
not hesitate at all. An action of this sort is categorised in the
highest ranks of jihad. Seek help from God and have trust in his.
"Whoever places his trust in God, God is enough for him".
I
am optimistic that (we shall see) hundreds, even thousands, of
recordings (made and published). May God provide victory or some other
(success). He is most capable.
May the peace and mercy of God be upon you
(Signed) Al-Jazi bint Sattam Al-Wayil Al-'Nizi
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Saudi Arabia: 'ID cards revolution' inflames YouTube against regime
06 April 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
Exclusive report and translation
Under the emblem of "the ID cards revolution" the Saudi youth protest
movement has shifted from twitter to YouTube. A group of Saudi young
men have begun recording individual video clips separately to convey
messages to the king complaining living hardships, criticising the
performance of the authority and denouncing corruption.
This started nearly a week ago, more specifically on the 30th of March, when a young man called Abd Al-Aziz Muhammad Al-Dusari published a video clip on YouTube under the title "a message to the king" in which he complained from his living condition due to the low salary he receives, which does not exceed 1900 riyals (500 dollars) and which, according to him, does not suffice his essential living needs. He criticised the preoccupation of the authority with fighting "bombings" and not paying attention to the needs of its citizens. He demanded improving the living conditions of Saudis from oil revenues that are, in his own words, enjoyed solely by the royal family. The he pulled his ID card in front of the camera announcing his full name to the public in what seemed an act of defiance to the authority and its expected repressive response.
This is the translation of what he says in his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. I am a Saudi citizen. I only receive 1900 riyals. I ask you in the name of God, O Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, is this amount sufficient for the dowry or for the car or for the house? We have had enough. And you (do nothing but) blame those who carry out bombings and you blame this and that. Give us (what is duly ours) of the petroleum, which you keep to yourself and your children to enjoy. Here, this is my name, Abdul Aziz Muhammad Fahd Al-Dusari. Give us what is duly ours."
The Saudi Authorities moved immediately arresting Al-Dusary and charging him with incitement, sedition and rebelling against the ruler. This case has stirred up a wave of criticisms within the ranks of Saudi youth. Some young men have followed Al-Dusari's example and recorded their own videos in which they express their solidarity with him and criticise corruption within the ranks of the ruling regime in the Kingdom.
The second message was posted by Abdullah Al-Ghamdi who expressed solidarity with Al-Dusari's demands and called on young men to express solidarity with him by means of recording similar video clips. Al-Ghamdi criticised corruption inside the kingdom as a result of which few people enjoy wealth and prosperity while the rest of the people are starving, as he put it.
The following is the translation of his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. Good evening to you all. Today, I watched a video clip for a Saudi young man called Abdul Aziz Muhammad Al-Dusari complaining from low salaries and their insufficiency addressing the king in his statement. By virtue of my own judgement and knowledge of the situation I support what the young man said in his statement and message to the king. I call on everyone to participate using the same method so that (our) voice may reach the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines and so that he may learn about the situation we are in of low income and the spread of corruption and oppression. It is neither acceptable nor sensible that only a small group of people, whether those governing or others that are corrupt, are enjoying state wealth while the rest of the population is starving and suffering because of poverty and oppression. Therefore, I support what the young man said and hereby I show you my ID card with my full details. I am Abdullah Mabruk bin Othman from Disha. I wish that everyone takes part (in this effort) using the same method. May God's peace and prayers be upon Muhammad."
The third message came from Saud Al-Harbi who started with an expression of solidarity with his comrades. He warned that this dynamic may soon spread to the street and criticised the Authority that is having dialogue with everyone including the Jews and the Americans but it has never occurred to it to have a dialogue with its own people.
Here is the translation of his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. May God's peace and prayers be upon His Messenger. I would like to talk about the video clip of brother Abdullah Al-Ghamdi and the video clip of brother Abdul Aziz Al-Dusari. They demanded the improvement of citizens' living conditions. These of course are our demands, the demands of the entire people. We lost our voices talking in vain about them. Our demands are easy to find. You do not need to open a twitter account or something of the sort to know them. You will find them in the rubbish bins of Al-Tuwaijri. Do not force the people to resort to a peaceful protest dynamic. Do not force the people to take to the streets. Simply put, the number of black (word indistinct) cars is a lot fewer than the number of free men. It would be easy for us to (take to the streets) to demand our rights, peacefully of course. So, I beg you, I beg you, listen to our voice. Please listen to our voice. You have a national dialogue centre. You have had dialogue with the Jewish and the Christian and tomorrow you will be having dialogue with Obama. So, I beg you. Listen to our voice, listen to your voice, meet our demands. We need housing. We need to live a decent life. And here is our ID card: Saud Mardi Abdullah Al-Harbi."
The Saudi authorities arrested all three men one after the other and charged them with incitement, sedition and rebelling against the ruler. Consequently, there has been more discussion among the youth about this. Some of them pursued the same methodology of recording video clips in solidarity with the detained young men.
The next message came from Abul Rahman Al-Asiri who criticised the authorities for arresting the three young men who preceded him simply for demanding their rights.
The following is the translation of his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. I am citizen Abdul Rahman Ali Ahmad Ghraib Al-Asiri from Tuhama of Asir. I have watched a video clip for some repeatable and kind young men from our country, namely Al-Dusari, Al-Ghamdi and Al-Harbi. They were demanding their rights, their most basic rights. They were imprisoned the following day. The problem is with you Al Saud. You deliberately seek to humiliate and impoverish the people. The poor fellow Al-Dusari says "my salary is 1900", by Allah this is not sufficient to pay for dinner for one of your children. The following day we saw one of the princes, one of your children, who bought a gold plated car. The problem is with you Al Saud. You have stolen everything. You have stolen our name and our country and you have annexed us to you. By what right have you done that? You have even stolen Islam. It has become Saudi Islam, the one that belongs to Al-Fawzan, to Al Al-Sheikh and to you. You have even distorted it. You have stolen Messenger who has become Saudi. As for petroleum, instead of distributing it and giving to the people, you have (pursued a policy of) empoverishing and humiliating the people. And if you ever distribute petroleum you distribute it to the enemies of the Ummah, the Sisi and the Christians of Lebanon who look down upon the Arabs and see them as nothing but trash. The problem is with you. You have stolen everything. This is unlawful, this is unjust. This is unjust. I am a medical doctor. I trained in (National) Guards and military hospitals and in hospitals belonging to the Ministry of Health. Once we had to place three patients in one bed. Where is this Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz? You seem to see nothing! I am demanding the rights. The first right I demand is (to ask) why have you imprisoned them? All they did was to demand their rights. Why have you imprisoned them? It is from the man who bought a gold plated care that we seek to demand our right. While I am recording this clip you are busy giving an oath of allegiance to Migrin. This is a selling / buying process as if the people are nothing but a piece of furniture. You sell and buy when you tell people come and pay allegiance. No, this will not do. This is unlawful. And when we speak you imprison us. You imprison us or you tell us to leave the country. This is not your country alone. No. The people demand their rights. We want freedom. I warn you. We want what is right for our country. Yemen, Tunisia and the others are in the second republic (phase). Saudi Arabia will enter the first republic (phase) if you do not move and apply reason. And for the benefit of the secret police, because I know their tactics, here is (my ID card). Abdul Rahman Ali Ahmad Ghraib Al-Asiri. Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God."
The fifth message was recorded by Mu'adh bin Sulaiman Al-Juhani. He criticised the authority for imprisoning the youth who are only demanding their rights. He himself demands that the state distribute wealth to the people, build housing estates, employ the unemployed, and increase the salaries or else repercussions would rather grave, as he put it.
The following is the translation of his clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. I direct this message to Al Saud. When the despotic king [reddens his cheeks] we flock to him with swords. You have stolen the people's wealth and when the people demand their rights you imprison them. What religion is this and what humanity? We demand the government to distribute the wealth fairly among the people and to stop stealing it you and your children. We demand the building of housing estates, employing the unemployed and increasing the salaries of employees. Otherwise the repercussions will be rather grave. And this is my ID card. I am Mu'adh Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Juhani from the Blessed Hijaz. May God's peace and prayers be upon Muhammad."
Video clip on YouTube by Al-Shammari
"Peace be upon you. I have three messages. The first message is directed to the people. Naturally, we all wish for reform except, of course, for the House of Saud. We as people wish for reform and wish to see things change (for the better). But, to be fair, whoever sees things will discover that it would impossible for reform to take place under the banner of the House of Saud. It is impossible, just impossible, by the Almighty God. These people are hostile to Islam, they are traitors, they are lackeys. They sold Iraq and they sold Palestine to Israel and they are hostile to all the Arab revolutions. The people are destitute. 25 per cent of the people are below the poverty line. All of this and (ours) is the richest country in the world. 70 per cent of the people cannot find housing. 60 % of the land is in the hands of the princes. And who ever utters a word demanding reform will be thrown in jail. Evidently, the young men who a few days ago demanded reform have been imprisoned. Why? What did they say to deserve imprisonment by you? As the proverb says: "evil and arrogant". You do not like to hear people demand reform! You just want them to pay lip service to you? Praise and thanks be to God. By God, even the Pharaoh was not like that. So, my message to the people is: rebel. Rebel because reform will not occur unless the House of Saud is no more.
My second message is directed at the Ulema. If you consider rebellion against the ruler is unlawful, this does not justify your defence of them and paying lip service to oppression and oppressors. By God, some Ulema, and some laymen too, justify oppression by the House of Saud in a manner that makes one suspect that they are none other than secret police. Why are you justifying this? What motivates you to defend them in this way? Some (much earlier) ulema used to prohibit rebellion against the rulers but they used at the same time to denounce them and even curse them. There is no contradiction (between the two acts). Regrettably, some ulema are not content with justifying (their oppression) but they also praise them. That is one thing. But if you consider rebellion against the oppressive ruler to be mandatory, then why are you silent? Why are you silent? I would like to know. You are (supposed to be) an example (to be followed by others). The House of Saud are oppressing (the people) and stealing (the wealth) while you are preoccupying the people with (trivial matters such as) growing the beard, shortening the gown and the technique of uttering praise post prayer. Ok, these are part of jurisprudence, we do not dispute. But, to what extent are we in need of this (type of) jurisprudence. Are these things more important than justice? Gold Almighty says: "We sent down our messengers with the book so that people establish justice and balance". He made justice an objective of sending messengers and books (to humanity) while you only care about growing the beard and shortening the gown. Yesterday, during the Friday sermon the imam spoke about the rewards allocated for those who fast on Mondays and Thursdays. You may say to me, so what, where is the problem (in this)? I shall tell you what is the problem. When oppression is so widespread and when corruption is so widespread and when all types of deviation are widespread while you are giving (the Friday) sermon about the reward (awaiting these who) fast on Mondays and Thursdays, there must be something wrong with you. This means you are completely detached from reality. So, my message to the ulema is that you should speak the truth. You should tell the oppressor "you are an oppressor". By God Almighty, the people will never respect you or appreciate you if you do not tell the House of Saud the truth to their faces.
My third and final message is directed at the House of Saud. Naturally, I am not (here) to demand or wish (anything) from you. Frankly and clearly, we have already lost all hope in you. Since the day you detained those young men who demanded reform, I feel you live in a world and we live in a different world altogether. However, I would like to say just one word. I would like to say that your end is drawing near, you lackeys. Your end is near. And this is my name: Muhammad Mut'ib Abdullah Al-Shammari."
Translation of a video clip by Al-Amri
"In the name of God most Gracious Most Merciful. May God's peace and prayers be upon Prophet Muhammad and all his companions. I would like to extend my thanks to the brothers who have demanded the rights of the citizens. My Allah reward them on our behalf. It is your legitimate right to demand you rights. So long you are on the (path of) truth, we are the supporters of Truth. The brothers have said enough regarding demands for the rights of the citizens.
The money that is sent abroad, to (support) coups and other things for the purpose of protecting your thrones, (you'd better) give to your people. Empower your own people instead. It is your people that will protect you. I ask you by God, (is it acceptable that) you have been so disrespectful of your people to the extent that a minister from Al Al-Sheikh comes out to say that we are protecting our asses? Shame on you by Allah. Not only is the citizen in dire need but is being humiliated by you. What a mess.
The detainees, the detainees, oh Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, (include) scholars and ulema. Whoever speaks the truth, you imprison him. By Allah this is a disaster. Sheikh Khalid Al-Rashid who is a defender of the Messenger of God, you have imprisoned him for 15 years? And then you say you implement the Law of God? No by God, this is not the Law of God. Never, never. The same thing happened to Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Ulwan. This by God is a strange thing. Fear god. There is this poor weak woman who is powerless and helpless, and you have imprisoned her. (Something about Muhammad bin Nayif - indistinct). I am present and my name is Jabir Salih Hamdan Al-Amri. This on the one side.
On the other side, whoever calls for the implementation of Shari'ah is accused of terrorism. If demanding the implementation of Shari'ah (amounts to being accused of) terrorism, (I'd say) welcome. If demanding our legitimate rights is (considered) stirring up sedition, then we seek God's help. Consider us fomenters of trouble. To (give my claim) more credibility that the people are suffering, I shall move elsewhere to video from it. Peace be upon you.
My second message is from the bedside of my father in the hospital. May God cure him and provide him with recovery. My father is the father of detainee Ali Salih Al-Amri who has been held inside Al-Ha'ir prison for the past 12 years. He was sentenced to three years but has not so far been released. There is no charge whatsoever apart from having god to (perform) jihad in 1410 (of Hijrah). Apart from that he has never been charged (of any crime). Frankly, we have not kept quiet for 12 years out of cowardice or fear. No, by God. We have appealed to the king, we have appealed to the Court of Grievances, we have appealed to the human rights (council), we have appealed to prince Nayif, we have appealed to Prince Muhammad bin Nayif, but to no avail. He was sentence for three years and now they are retrying him and fabricating new charges to justify keep him locked up for 12 year. For 12 years we have left no one but appealed to by letters and by faxes etc. You tell us your door is open? For 12 years, oh Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, I and my father have spared no effort. Of the open doors you talk about we have found none whatsoever. Muhammad bin Nayif has burnt the heart of this elderly man. May God burn his heart and provide us with victory in the life before the Hereafter.
I have only spoken and recorded this clip to clear my responsibility. I am not going to ask you once again whether you will release him or not. It is all in the hand of God. But I wanted to convey to you a picture that is already known to many people.
This is the father of detainee Ali Salih Hamdan Al-Amri whose nickname is Abd Al-Majid Al-Tabuki and I am his brother. May the peace and mercy of God be with you."
Link: /www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10748-saudi-arabia-id-cards-revolution-inflames-youtube-against-regime.
Comment: Subhan Allah...The regime of Arabia (Hijaz) is indeed tyrannical.. It is obviously a part of the global oligarchy/NWO/Illuminati. Leaders of many Muslim countries are tyrants who are agents of the NWO. All leaders within The Islamic Nation that are tyrannical will fall....I repeat any and all leaders within The Islamic Nation -that are tyrannical- will fall. Allah hates tyranny.
In sha' Allah... the period of tyranny is over and the period of the return of the Sunneh of Prophet Muhammad has begun... Allah knows best... tyrants within The Islamic Nation will fall. Only Allah knows when and how... Only after all the tyrants are gone will the Khilafah be re-established. Allah knows best.
Any Muslim who wants the Khilafah to be re-established must understand that the Khilafah is a blessing from Allah-not an obligation. This blessing will only come after the tyrants have gone. Allah knows best.
This is a statement to the NWO. Your agenda will not be accomplished. Allah is in command. He was always in command, and He will always be in command.
You who are of the Illuminati/NWO, you are not in command. Only what Allah permits will happen-nothing more! Your "God" Shaitan is a Jinn who is doomed to The Hell Fire. Any one who takes him as a lord or as a patron-and dies as such- will find themselves in The Hell Fire.This is a promise from Allah, through The Qur'an. Allah fulfills His promises.
The actual taped recordings of the individual brothers can be found in the original article.
Source: Middle East Monitor
Exclusive report and translation
Al-Dusari: My
salary is 1900 Riyals. The authority is preoccupied fighting the
bombings while enjoying alone the revenues of the petroleum. The maxim
"stave your dog it will obey you" is no longer valid.
Al-Ghamdi: I call upon the youth to participate by recording videos in the same way.
Al-Harbi: The
authority has established centres for having dialogue with the Jews and
the Americans but has not yet thought of having a dialogue with its
people.
Al-Asiri: Al
Saud, you have stolen every thing including even Islam and the
Messenger. I warn that the first Saudi republic is on its way.
Al-Juhani: If the state fails to meet the demands of the youth the repercussions will be grave indeed.
This started nearly a week ago, more specifically on the 30th of March, when a young man called Abd Al-Aziz Muhammad Al-Dusari published a video clip on YouTube under the title "a message to the king" in which he complained from his living condition due to the low salary he receives, which does not exceed 1900 riyals (500 dollars) and which, according to him, does not suffice his essential living needs. He criticised the preoccupation of the authority with fighting "bombings" and not paying attention to the needs of its citizens. He demanded improving the living conditions of Saudis from oil revenues that are, in his own words, enjoyed solely by the royal family. The he pulled his ID card in front of the camera announcing his full name to the public in what seemed an act of defiance to the authority and its expected repressive response.
This is the translation of what he says in his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. I am a Saudi citizen. I only receive 1900 riyals. I ask you in the name of God, O Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, is this amount sufficient for the dowry or for the car or for the house? We have had enough. And you (do nothing but) blame those who carry out bombings and you blame this and that. Give us (what is duly ours) of the petroleum, which you keep to yourself and your children to enjoy. Here, this is my name, Abdul Aziz Muhammad Fahd Al-Dusari. Give us what is duly ours."
The Saudi Authorities moved immediately arresting Al-Dusary and charging him with incitement, sedition and rebelling against the ruler. This case has stirred up a wave of criticisms within the ranks of Saudi youth. Some young men have followed Al-Dusari's example and recorded their own videos in which they express their solidarity with him and criticise corruption within the ranks of the ruling regime in the Kingdom.
The second message was posted by Abdullah Al-Ghamdi who expressed solidarity with Al-Dusari's demands and called on young men to express solidarity with him by means of recording similar video clips. Al-Ghamdi criticised corruption inside the kingdom as a result of which few people enjoy wealth and prosperity while the rest of the people are starving, as he put it.
The following is the translation of his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. Good evening to you all. Today, I watched a video clip for a Saudi young man called Abdul Aziz Muhammad Al-Dusari complaining from low salaries and their insufficiency addressing the king in his statement. By virtue of my own judgement and knowledge of the situation I support what the young man said in his statement and message to the king. I call on everyone to participate using the same method so that (our) voice may reach the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines and so that he may learn about the situation we are in of low income and the spread of corruption and oppression. It is neither acceptable nor sensible that only a small group of people, whether those governing or others that are corrupt, are enjoying state wealth while the rest of the population is starving and suffering because of poverty and oppression. Therefore, I support what the young man said and hereby I show you my ID card with my full details. I am Abdullah Mabruk bin Othman from Disha. I wish that everyone takes part (in this effort) using the same method. May God's peace and prayers be upon Muhammad."
The third message came from Saud Al-Harbi who started with an expression of solidarity with his comrades. He warned that this dynamic may soon spread to the street and criticised the Authority that is having dialogue with everyone including the Jews and the Americans but it has never occurred to it to have a dialogue with its own people.
Here is the translation of his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. May God's peace and prayers be upon His Messenger. I would like to talk about the video clip of brother Abdullah Al-Ghamdi and the video clip of brother Abdul Aziz Al-Dusari. They demanded the improvement of citizens' living conditions. These of course are our demands, the demands of the entire people. We lost our voices talking in vain about them. Our demands are easy to find. You do not need to open a twitter account or something of the sort to know them. You will find them in the rubbish bins of Al-Tuwaijri. Do not force the people to resort to a peaceful protest dynamic. Do not force the people to take to the streets. Simply put, the number of black (word indistinct) cars is a lot fewer than the number of free men. It would be easy for us to (take to the streets) to demand our rights, peacefully of course. So, I beg you, I beg you, listen to our voice. Please listen to our voice. You have a national dialogue centre. You have had dialogue with the Jewish and the Christian and tomorrow you will be having dialogue with Obama. So, I beg you. Listen to our voice, listen to your voice, meet our demands. We need housing. We need to live a decent life. And here is our ID card: Saud Mardi Abdullah Al-Harbi."
The Saudi authorities arrested all three men one after the other and charged them with incitement, sedition and rebelling against the ruler. Consequently, there has been more discussion among the youth about this. Some of them pursued the same methodology of recording video clips in solidarity with the detained young men.
The next message came from Abul Rahman Al-Asiri who criticised the authorities for arresting the three young men who preceded him simply for demanding their rights.
The following is the translation of his video clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. I am citizen Abdul Rahman Ali Ahmad Ghraib Al-Asiri from Tuhama of Asir. I have watched a video clip for some repeatable and kind young men from our country, namely Al-Dusari, Al-Ghamdi and Al-Harbi. They were demanding their rights, their most basic rights. They were imprisoned the following day. The problem is with you Al Saud. You deliberately seek to humiliate and impoverish the people. The poor fellow Al-Dusari says "my salary is 1900", by Allah this is not sufficient to pay for dinner for one of your children. The following day we saw one of the princes, one of your children, who bought a gold plated car. The problem is with you Al Saud. You have stolen everything. You have stolen our name and our country and you have annexed us to you. By what right have you done that? You have even stolen Islam. It has become Saudi Islam, the one that belongs to Al-Fawzan, to Al Al-Sheikh and to you. You have even distorted it. You have stolen Messenger who has become Saudi. As for petroleum, instead of distributing it and giving to the people, you have (pursued a policy of) empoverishing and humiliating the people. And if you ever distribute petroleum you distribute it to the enemies of the Ummah, the Sisi and the Christians of Lebanon who look down upon the Arabs and see them as nothing but trash. The problem is with you. You have stolen everything. This is unlawful, this is unjust. This is unjust. I am a medical doctor. I trained in (National) Guards and military hospitals and in hospitals belonging to the Ministry of Health. Once we had to place three patients in one bed. Where is this Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz? You seem to see nothing! I am demanding the rights. The first right I demand is (to ask) why have you imprisoned them? All they did was to demand their rights. Why have you imprisoned them? It is from the man who bought a gold plated care that we seek to demand our right. While I am recording this clip you are busy giving an oath of allegiance to Migrin. This is a selling / buying process as if the people are nothing but a piece of furniture. You sell and buy when you tell people come and pay allegiance. No, this will not do. This is unlawful. And when we speak you imprison us. You imprison us or you tell us to leave the country. This is not your country alone. No. The people demand their rights. We want freedom. I warn you. We want what is right for our country. Yemen, Tunisia and the others are in the second republic (phase). Saudi Arabia will enter the first republic (phase) if you do not move and apply reason. And for the benefit of the secret police, because I know their tactics, here is (my ID card). Abdul Rahman Ali Ahmad Ghraib Al-Asiri. Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God."
The fifth message was recorded by Mu'adh bin Sulaiman Al-Juhani. He criticised the authority for imprisoning the youth who are only demanding their rights. He himself demands that the state distribute wealth to the people, build housing estates, employ the unemployed, and increase the salaries or else repercussions would rather grave, as he put it.
The following is the translation of his clip:
"Peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of God. I direct this message to Al Saud. When the despotic king [reddens his cheeks] we flock to him with swords. You have stolen the people's wealth and when the people demand their rights you imprison them. What religion is this and what humanity? We demand the government to distribute the wealth fairly among the people and to stop stealing it you and your children. We demand the building of housing estates, employing the unemployed and increasing the salaries of employees. Otherwise the repercussions will be rather grave. And this is my ID card. I am Mu'adh Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Juhani from the Blessed Hijaz. May God's peace and prayers be upon Muhammad."
Video clip on YouTube by Al-Shammari
"Peace be upon you. I have three messages. The first message is directed to the people. Naturally, we all wish for reform except, of course, for the House of Saud. We as people wish for reform and wish to see things change (for the better). But, to be fair, whoever sees things will discover that it would impossible for reform to take place under the banner of the House of Saud. It is impossible, just impossible, by the Almighty God. These people are hostile to Islam, they are traitors, they are lackeys. They sold Iraq and they sold Palestine to Israel and they are hostile to all the Arab revolutions. The people are destitute. 25 per cent of the people are below the poverty line. All of this and (ours) is the richest country in the world. 70 per cent of the people cannot find housing. 60 % of the land is in the hands of the princes. And who ever utters a word demanding reform will be thrown in jail. Evidently, the young men who a few days ago demanded reform have been imprisoned. Why? What did they say to deserve imprisonment by you? As the proverb says: "evil and arrogant". You do not like to hear people demand reform! You just want them to pay lip service to you? Praise and thanks be to God. By God, even the Pharaoh was not like that. So, my message to the people is: rebel. Rebel because reform will not occur unless the House of Saud is no more.
My second message is directed at the Ulema. If you consider rebellion against the ruler is unlawful, this does not justify your defence of them and paying lip service to oppression and oppressors. By God, some Ulema, and some laymen too, justify oppression by the House of Saud in a manner that makes one suspect that they are none other than secret police. Why are you justifying this? What motivates you to defend them in this way? Some (much earlier) ulema used to prohibit rebellion against the rulers but they used at the same time to denounce them and even curse them. There is no contradiction (between the two acts). Regrettably, some ulema are not content with justifying (their oppression) but they also praise them. That is one thing. But if you consider rebellion against the oppressive ruler to be mandatory, then why are you silent? Why are you silent? I would like to know. You are (supposed to be) an example (to be followed by others). The House of Saud are oppressing (the people) and stealing (the wealth) while you are preoccupying the people with (trivial matters such as) growing the beard, shortening the gown and the technique of uttering praise post prayer. Ok, these are part of jurisprudence, we do not dispute. But, to what extent are we in need of this (type of) jurisprudence. Are these things more important than justice? Gold Almighty says: "We sent down our messengers with the book so that people establish justice and balance". He made justice an objective of sending messengers and books (to humanity) while you only care about growing the beard and shortening the gown. Yesterday, during the Friday sermon the imam spoke about the rewards allocated for those who fast on Mondays and Thursdays. You may say to me, so what, where is the problem (in this)? I shall tell you what is the problem. When oppression is so widespread and when corruption is so widespread and when all types of deviation are widespread while you are giving (the Friday) sermon about the reward (awaiting these who) fast on Mondays and Thursdays, there must be something wrong with you. This means you are completely detached from reality. So, my message to the ulema is that you should speak the truth. You should tell the oppressor "you are an oppressor". By God Almighty, the people will never respect you or appreciate you if you do not tell the House of Saud the truth to their faces.
My third and final message is directed at the House of Saud. Naturally, I am not (here) to demand or wish (anything) from you. Frankly and clearly, we have already lost all hope in you. Since the day you detained those young men who demanded reform, I feel you live in a world and we live in a different world altogether. However, I would like to say just one word. I would like to say that your end is drawing near, you lackeys. Your end is near. And this is my name: Muhammad Mut'ib Abdullah Al-Shammari."
Translation of a video clip by Al-Amri
"In the name of God most Gracious Most Merciful. May God's peace and prayers be upon Prophet Muhammad and all his companions. I would like to extend my thanks to the brothers who have demanded the rights of the citizens. My Allah reward them on our behalf. It is your legitimate right to demand you rights. So long you are on the (path of) truth, we are the supporters of Truth. The brothers have said enough regarding demands for the rights of the citizens.
The money that is sent abroad, to (support) coups and other things for the purpose of protecting your thrones, (you'd better) give to your people. Empower your own people instead. It is your people that will protect you. I ask you by God, (is it acceptable that) you have been so disrespectful of your people to the extent that a minister from Al Al-Sheikh comes out to say that we are protecting our asses? Shame on you by Allah. Not only is the citizen in dire need but is being humiliated by you. What a mess.
The detainees, the detainees, oh Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, (include) scholars and ulema. Whoever speaks the truth, you imprison him. By Allah this is a disaster. Sheikh Khalid Al-Rashid who is a defender of the Messenger of God, you have imprisoned him for 15 years? And then you say you implement the Law of God? No by God, this is not the Law of God. Never, never. The same thing happened to Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Ulwan. This by God is a strange thing. Fear god. There is this poor weak woman who is powerless and helpless, and you have imprisoned her. (Something about Muhammad bin Nayif - indistinct). I am present and my name is Jabir Salih Hamdan Al-Amri. This on the one side.
On the other side, whoever calls for the implementation of Shari'ah is accused of terrorism. If demanding the implementation of Shari'ah (amounts to being accused of) terrorism, (I'd say) welcome. If demanding our legitimate rights is (considered) stirring up sedition, then we seek God's help. Consider us fomenters of trouble. To (give my claim) more credibility that the people are suffering, I shall move elsewhere to video from it. Peace be upon you.
My second message is from the bedside of my father in the hospital. May God cure him and provide him with recovery. My father is the father of detainee Ali Salih Al-Amri who has been held inside Al-Ha'ir prison for the past 12 years. He was sentenced to three years but has not so far been released. There is no charge whatsoever apart from having god to (perform) jihad in 1410 (of Hijrah). Apart from that he has never been charged (of any crime). Frankly, we have not kept quiet for 12 years out of cowardice or fear. No, by God. We have appealed to the king, we have appealed to the Court of Grievances, we have appealed to the human rights (council), we have appealed to prince Nayif, we have appealed to Prince Muhammad bin Nayif, but to no avail. He was sentence for three years and now they are retrying him and fabricating new charges to justify keep him locked up for 12 year. For 12 years we have left no one but appealed to by letters and by faxes etc. You tell us your door is open? For 12 years, oh Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, I and my father have spared no effort. Of the open doors you talk about we have found none whatsoever. Muhammad bin Nayif has burnt the heart of this elderly man. May God burn his heart and provide us with victory in the life before the Hereafter.
I have only spoken and recorded this clip to clear my responsibility. I am not going to ask you once again whether you will release him or not. It is all in the hand of God. But I wanted to convey to you a picture that is already known to many people.
This is the father of detainee Ali Salih Hamdan Al-Amri whose nickname is Abd Al-Majid Al-Tabuki and I am his brother. May the peace and mercy of God be with you."
Link: /www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10748-saudi-arabia-id-cards-revolution-inflames-youtube-against-regime.
Comment: Subhan Allah...The regime of Arabia (Hijaz) is indeed tyrannical.. It is obviously a part of the global oligarchy/NWO/Illuminati. Leaders of many Muslim countries are tyrants who are agents of the NWO. All leaders within The Islamic Nation that are tyrannical will fall....I repeat any and all leaders within The Islamic Nation -that are tyrannical- will fall. Allah hates tyranny.
In sha' Allah... the period of tyranny is over and the period of the return of the Sunneh of Prophet Muhammad has begun... Allah knows best... tyrants within The Islamic Nation will fall. Only Allah knows when and how... Only after all the tyrants are gone will the Khilafah be re-established. Allah knows best.
Any Muslim who wants the Khilafah to be re-established must understand that the Khilafah is a blessing from Allah-not an obligation. This blessing will only come after the tyrants have gone. Allah knows best.
This is a statement to the NWO. Your agenda will not be accomplished. Allah is in command. He was always in command, and He will always be in command.
You who are of the Illuminati/NWO, you are not in command. Only what Allah permits will happen-nothing more! Your "God" Shaitan is a Jinn who is doomed to The Hell Fire. Any one who takes him as a lord or as a patron-and dies as such- will find themselves in The Hell Fire.This is a promise from Allah, through The Qur'an. Allah fulfills His promises.
The actual taped recordings of the individual brothers can be found in the original article.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Saudi government targets writers and scholars
10 March 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
Islamic Saudi writer Mhanna Al-Hbail said he will comply with a ban stopping him from writing articles.
In a tweet published on Saturday, Al-Hbail said: "I received a phone call from his excellency the Minister of Information, Dr Abdullah Al-Jasir, informing me, in a dignified manner, that a top level decision has been issued banning me from writing in Qatar."
Al-Hbail writes for the Qatari Al-Arab newspaper as well as for Aljazeera.net. He also publishes in Saudi newspapers such as Al-Hayat.
In a subsequent tweet he said: "I hereby comply with the regrettable decision, which is a repercussion of the disputes tearing the Arabian Gulf region apart. I do wish that this dispute is resolved and the Gulf is united for its own sake."
He also thanked the Qataris for their stance saying: "Thank you in Qatar for having shown me respect, appreciation and hospitality for me and for my pen. This is what I consider to be a profound fraternal Gulf relationship resting on sound foundations and pillars."
It appears that the Saudi decision has been extended to other writers including Salih Al-Shihi who writes for Al-Arab newspaper and Samar Al-Miqrin who said she had decided to stop writing after having a dispute with the newspaper about the content of her articles. She admitted, however, as quoted by the Saudi Al-Hayat newspaper, that she too received instructions from the Saudi Ministry of Information.
Academic and columnist Ahmad bin Rashid bin Said has not said, at least until this report was written, whether he received a similar call. It is worth noting that he also writes for the same Qatari newspaper. Bin Said is well known for his persistent criticism of the Saudi Al-Arabiya TV channel, which he recently described as the "Haftar Channel" after it broadcast a statement by Libyan General Haftar in which he announced his coup. He is also famous for his hashtag "Deconstructing the Zionised Discourse" in which he attacks Al-Arabiya.
What came as a surprise was a tweet by Saudi renowned writer and novelist Muhammad Al-Hdaif, nearly 10 hours after Al-Hbail's own tweet. Al-Hdaif said: "My dear followers. I bid farewell to you. The space has shrunk and the son has been seized. This account will stop tweeting. Yet, my heart will not stop praying for a deeply wounded Ummah."
His tweet prompted someone to initiate a hashtag called: "Suppressing freedom in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hdaif's account has been suspended."
Prior to the suspension of his twitter account, Al-Hdaif tweeted several times criticising the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. In one of his tweets he said: "The first to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists sentencing their members, both men and women, to death was Nusairi sectarian Hafiz Al-Asad."
Ridiculing the official Saudi decision he also said: "The funny thing about this latest designation of terrorism is that many Saudis have studied in various levels of education at the hands of terrorists."
Al-Hdaif comes from a family known for its political opposition. His brother was executed in the early nineties for allegedly killing a soldier, though his family denies that he ever did so. He also has another brother who has been in detention of many years. He himself spent four years in detention in the early nineties too. He was then a member of the reform movement some of whose leading figures fled the country and continue to live in exile.
The Saudi authorities have so far taken measures that besiege a number of notable writers and academics, banning them from delivering lectures, according to London-based UAE newspaper Al-Arab.
Included in this group is renown scholar Dr Salman Al-Odah, who has also been denied permission to travel. Some observers believe these measures constitute a prelude to a much more expansive campaign that will target whoever is suspected of affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood as well as all scholars and Islamic personalities that call for political reform in the Kingdom.
In the meantime, Al-Arabiya's website reported that a special criminal court in Riyadh sentenced an unnamed twitter activist to eight-years in prison for inciting people to take part in demonstrations in Saudi Arabia. The court also ordered his twitter account to be cancelled.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10204-saudi-government-targets-writers-and-scholars.
Source: Middle East Monitor
Islamic Saudi writer Mhanna Al-Hbail said he will comply with a ban stopping him from writing articles.
In a tweet published on Saturday, Al-Hbail said: "I received a phone call from his excellency the Minister of Information, Dr Abdullah Al-Jasir, informing me, in a dignified manner, that a top level decision has been issued banning me from writing in Qatar."
Al-Hbail writes for the Qatari Al-Arab newspaper as well as for Aljazeera.net. He also publishes in Saudi newspapers such as Al-Hayat.
In a subsequent tweet he said: "I hereby comply with the regrettable decision, which is a repercussion of the disputes tearing the Arabian Gulf region apart. I do wish that this dispute is resolved and the Gulf is united for its own sake."
He also thanked the Qataris for their stance saying: "Thank you in Qatar for having shown me respect, appreciation and hospitality for me and for my pen. This is what I consider to be a profound fraternal Gulf relationship resting on sound foundations and pillars."
It appears that the Saudi decision has been extended to other writers including Salih Al-Shihi who writes for Al-Arab newspaper and Samar Al-Miqrin who said she had decided to stop writing after having a dispute with the newspaper about the content of her articles. She admitted, however, as quoted by the Saudi Al-Hayat newspaper, that she too received instructions from the Saudi Ministry of Information.
Academic and columnist Ahmad bin Rashid bin Said has not said, at least until this report was written, whether he received a similar call. It is worth noting that he also writes for the same Qatari newspaper. Bin Said is well known for his persistent criticism of the Saudi Al-Arabiya TV channel, which he recently described as the "Haftar Channel" after it broadcast a statement by Libyan General Haftar in which he announced his coup. He is also famous for his hashtag "Deconstructing the Zionised Discourse" in which he attacks Al-Arabiya.
What came as a surprise was a tweet by Saudi renowned writer and novelist Muhammad Al-Hdaif, nearly 10 hours after Al-Hbail's own tweet. Al-Hdaif said: "My dear followers. I bid farewell to you. The space has shrunk and the son has been seized. This account will stop tweeting. Yet, my heart will not stop praying for a deeply wounded Ummah."
His tweet prompted someone to initiate a hashtag called: "Suppressing freedom in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hdaif's account has been suspended."
Prior to the suspension of his twitter account, Al-Hdaif tweeted several times criticising the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. In one of his tweets he said: "The first to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists sentencing their members, both men and women, to death was Nusairi sectarian Hafiz Al-Asad."
Ridiculing the official Saudi decision he also said: "The funny thing about this latest designation of terrorism is that many Saudis have studied in various levels of education at the hands of terrorists."
Al-Hdaif comes from a family known for its political opposition. His brother was executed in the early nineties for allegedly killing a soldier, though his family denies that he ever did so. He also has another brother who has been in detention of many years. He himself spent four years in detention in the early nineties too. He was then a member of the reform movement some of whose leading figures fled the country and continue to live in exile.
The Saudi authorities have so far taken measures that besiege a number of notable writers and academics, banning them from delivering lectures, according to London-based UAE newspaper Al-Arab.
Included in this group is renown scholar Dr Salman Al-Odah, who has also been denied permission to travel. Some observers believe these measures constitute a prelude to a much more expansive campaign that will target whoever is suspected of affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood as well as all scholars and Islamic personalities that call for political reform in the Kingdom.
In the meantime, Al-Arabiya's website reported that a special criminal court in Riyadh sentenced an unnamed twitter activist to eight-years in prison for inciting people to take part in demonstrations in Saudi Arabia. The court also ordered his twitter account to be cancelled.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10204-saudi-government-targets-writers-and-scholars.
Full text of the communique issued by the Saudi Interior Ministry on proscribed organisations
09 March 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
Full text of the communique issued by the Saudi Interior Ministry:
As per Royal Decree number A / 44 dated 3/4/1435H which orders in paragraph four the formation of a committee composed of representatives of the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah & Guidance; the Ministry of Justice; the Court for Grievances; and the Department of Investigations and Public Prosecution, whose task would be to prepare a list, to be updated regularly, of the currents and groups referred to in paragraph 2 (1) of the decree, to be submitted for approval, the Ministry of Interior would like to explain that the said committee has met, deliberated the matter and submitted to his Majesty its proposal that the list should include any Saudi national or non-Saudi resident of the kingdom who perpetrates any of the following:
1) Preaching any atheistic thought in whatever form or casting doubt on the unchangeable principles of Islam upon which this country has been founded;
2) Whoever rebels against the covenant he pledged to the rulers of this country or whoever pledges homage to any party or organisation or current or group or individual whether local or foreign;
3) Participating in or calling for or inciting combat in any conflict zone in other countries or whoever issues a fatwa to that effect;
4) Whoever supports organisations or groups or currents or groupings or parties, or whoever manifests affiliation to any of these or expresses sympathy with any of them or promotes any of them or convenes meetings under their umbrella whether inside or outside the Kingdom. This includes participating in all forms of media, whether audio or print or video, and in social media networks of all forms and types, audio, print and video, and in internet websites by reporting or re-transmitting any of their contents in whatever format, or the use of the slogans or emblems of these groups and currents or the use of any such symbols that my express support for them or sympathy with them;
5) Donating to or supporting financially or materially the organisations or currents or terrorist or extremist groups or providing shelter for someone affiliated to them or promoting them inside or outside the kingdom;
6) Contacting or communicating with any of the groups, currents or individuals deemed hostile to the Kingdom;
7) Loyalty to a foreign country or associating with it or communicating with it with the objective of undermining the unity, stability or security of the Kingdom or its people;
8) Seeking to destabilise the social matrix and national unity, or calling for or participating in or promoting or inciting people to take part in protests or demonstrations or assemblies or joint statements under whatever pretext and in whatever format or in whatever means that undermines the unity and stability of the Kingdom;
9) Attending conferences or symposia or assemblies whether locally or internationally that target the security or stability of the country and stir up sedition within society;
10) Abuse of other states and their leaders;
11) Inciting other states or associations or international organisations against the Kingdom;
The Ministry of Interior would like to point out that His Majesty has approved these proposals and that Royal Decree number 16820 dated 5/5/1435H has been issued endorsing them. The implementation of these rules will begin as of Sunday 8/5/1435H which corresponds to the 9th of March 2014 CE. Whoever violates these rulings in whatever form or shape as of this date will be prosecuted and punished for all his past and present violations. His Majesty instructed that whoever is taking part in combat activities outside the Kingdom in whatever form will be given a 15 days ultimatum starting from the date of the communique to reconsider and return soon to their homeland. We pray that God may guide them back to their senses.
The Ministry of Interior attaches to this first list of parties, groups and currents covered by this communique those that call themselves any of the following: Alqaeda Organisation, Alqaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Organisation, Alqaeda Organisation in Yemen, Alqaeda Organisation in Iraq, Daesh (The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), Al-Nusrah Front, Hezbollah inside the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia), The Muslim Brotherhood Group, Al-Huthy Group. It should be known that this would apply to any organisation that is similar to any of these organisations in thought, discourse or action and to all the groups or currents listed in UN Security Council and other international organisations terrorism list or known to have been involved in terrorism and the use of violence.
The Ministry will update this list regularly in accordance with the Royal decree. All are urged to adhere fully to this. The Ministry would like to stress, in the meantime, that there would be no tolerance shown toward any person committing any of the above mentioned violations.
We pray to God Almighty to guide everyone. We would like to remind that God Almighty says: "God is forgiving for those who repent and do well after having been wrong."
First and foremost, it is God that is the provider of success.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10189-full-text-of-the-communique-issued-by-the-saudi-interior-ministry-on-proscribed-organisations.
Source: Middle East Monitor
Full text of the communique issued by the Saudi Interior Ministry:
As per Royal Decree number A / 44 dated 3/4/1435H which orders in paragraph four the formation of a committee composed of representatives of the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah & Guidance; the Ministry of Justice; the Court for Grievances; and the Department of Investigations and Public Prosecution, whose task would be to prepare a list, to be updated regularly, of the currents and groups referred to in paragraph 2 (1) of the decree, to be submitted for approval, the Ministry of Interior would like to explain that the said committee has met, deliberated the matter and submitted to his Majesty its proposal that the list should include any Saudi national or non-Saudi resident of the kingdom who perpetrates any of the following:
1) Preaching any atheistic thought in whatever form or casting doubt on the unchangeable principles of Islam upon which this country has been founded;
2) Whoever rebels against the covenant he pledged to the rulers of this country or whoever pledges homage to any party or organisation or current or group or individual whether local or foreign;
3) Participating in or calling for or inciting combat in any conflict zone in other countries or whoever issues a fatwa to that effect;
4) Whoever supports organisations or groups or currents or groupings or parties, or whoever manifests affiliation to any of these or expresses sympathy with any of them or promotes any of them or convenes meetings under their umbrella whether inside or outside the Kingdom. This includes participating in all forms of media, whether audio or print or video, and in social media networks of all forms and types, audio, print and video, and in internet websites by reporting or re-transmitting any of their contents in whatever format, or the use of the slogans or emblems of these groups and currents or the use of any such symbols that my express support for them or sympathy with them;
5) Donating to or supporting financially or materially the organisations or currents or terrorist or extremist groups or providing shelter for someone affiliated to them or promoting them inside or outside the kingdom;
6) Contacting or communicating with any of the groups, currents or individuals deemed hostile to the Kingdom;
7) Loyalty to a foreign country or associating with it or communicating with it with the objective of undermining the unity, stability or security of the Kingdom or its people;
8) Seeking to destabilise the social matrix and national unity, or calling for or participating in or promoting or inciting people to take part in protests or demonstrations or assemblies or joint statements under whatever pretext and in whatever format or in whatever means that undermines the unity and stability of the Kingdom;
9) Attending conferences or symposia or assemblies whether locally or internationally that target the security or stability of the country and stir up sedition within society;
10) Abuse of other states and their leaders;
11) Inciting other states or associations or international organisations against the Kingdom;
The Ministry of Interior would like to point out that His Majesty has approved these proposals and that Royal Decree number 16820 dated 5/5/1435H has been issued endorsing them. The implementation of these rules will begin as of Sunday 8/5/1435H which corresponds to the 9th of March 2014 CE. Whoever violates these rulings in whatever form or shape as of this date will be prosecuted and punished for all his past and present violations. His Majesty instructed that whoever is taking part in combat activities outside the Kingdom in whatever form will be given a 15 days ultimatum starting from the date of the communique to reconsider and return soon to their homeland. We pray that God may guide them back to their senses.
The Ministry of Interior attaches to this first list of parties, groups and currents covered by this communique those that call themselves any of the following: Alqaeda Organisation, Alqaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Organisation, Alqaeda Organisation in Yemen, Alqaeda Organisation in Iraq, Daesh (The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), Al-Nusrah Front, Hezbollah inside the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia), The Muslim Brotherhood Group, Al-Huthy Group. It should be known that this would apply to any organisation that is similar to any of these organisations in thought, discourse or action and to all the groups or currents listed in UN Security Council and other international organisations terrorism list or known to have been involved in terrorism and the use of violence.
The Ministry will update this list regularly in accordance with the Royal decree. All are urged to adhere fully to this. The Ministry would like to stress, in the meantime, that there would be no tolerance shown toward any person committing any of the above mentioned violations.
We pray to God Almighty to guide everyone. We would like to remind that God Almighty says: "God is forgiving for those who repent and do well after having been wrong."
First and foremost, it is God that is the provider of success.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10189-full-text-of-the-communique-issued-by-the-saudi-interior-ministry-on-proscribed-organisations.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Saudi lists 'terror' groups, orders Islamist fighters home
22 hours ago
By Assad Abboud
Source: Yahoo News
Also
blacklisted are Shiite Muslim rebels known as Huthis in northern Yemen
and "Hezbollah inside the kingdom," a reference to a little-known Shiite
group in` overwhelmingly Sunni Saudi Arabia.
By Assad Abboud
Source: Yahoo News
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia
listed the Muslim Brotherhood and two Syrian jihadist groups as
terrorist organisations Friday, and ordered citizens fighting abroad to
return home within 15 days or face imprisonment.
The move
represents a major escalation against the Brotherhood of deposed
Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and indicates rising concern in Riyadh
over the potential risks to domestic security of Saudi extremists
fighting in Syria.
Riyadh
staunchly supports Sunni-led rebels battling to overthrow Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad but has long feared blowback from radical
jihadist groups, particularly after a spate of attacks by a local
Al-Qaeda franchise from 2003 to 2006.
Friday's
move comes two days after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab
Emirates recalled their ambassadors from Qatar, which supports Islamists
groups in the region and was a backer of the Brotherhood.
A
list published by the interior ministry designates as terrorist
organisations the Brotherhood, Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda's
official Syrian affiliate, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL), a rogue group fighting in both Syria and Iraq.
The interior ministry, in a
statement carried by state media, said it will prosecute anyone backing
these groups "financially or morally", or who express sympathies for
them or seek to promote them through media and social networks.
It also forbids "participation in, calling for, or incitement to fighting in conflict zones in other countries."
Saudis fighting abroad were given a 15-day ultimatum Friday to return home or face imprisonment.
Prison also awaits anyone calling for demonstrations or taking part in them, the ministry said.
And analysts warned of the effect of that on civil liberties.
Saudi Arabia hailed the July overthrow of
Morsi and pledged billions of dollars to Egypt's military-installed
government and, in recent months, has eclipsed Qatar as the main backer
of Syria's rebels.
"There is fear that the text will
be interpreted in such a way to muzzle freedom of expression," said
sociologist Khaled al-Dakheel.
Last
month, King Abdullah already announced jail terms of up to 20 years for
belonging to "terrorist groups" and fighting abroad and tough sanctions
for anyone backing the incriminated organisations.
Rights
group Amnesty International sharply criticised that decree, saying it
could be used to suppress peaceful political dissent because the law
used an "overly vague definition of terrorism."
- Political Islam a challenge -
In
2011, Saudi Arabia set up specialised terrorism courts to try dozens of
its citizens and foreigners accused of belonging to Al-Qaeda or being
involved in a wave of bloody attacks that swept the country from 2003.
The Saudi and other conservative
Gulf monarchies have long been hostile to the Brotherhood, fearing that
its brand of grass-roots activism and political Islam could undermine
their authority.
On Wednesday,
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recalled their
ambassadors from Doha, over Qatar's backing of the Brotherhood in Egypt.
The
move is an unprecedented escalation of tension with a fellow member of
the Gulf Cooperation Council, which also includes Kuwait and Oman.
It
reflected the fury of these three nation at Qatari support for Islamist
groupings that emerged in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings
that toppled dictators in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt who had long
oppressed radical Islamists.
It
was also seen as a revival of the on-again, off-again rivalry between
Riyadh and Doha, oil- and gas-rich monarchies that have long vied for
regional influence.
Egypt,
which has launched a sweeping crackdown on the Brotherhood and detained
reporters from Qatar's Al-Jazeera news network, has meanwhile said its
own envoy would not return to Qatar.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Saudi, UAE, Bahrain recall their envoys from Qatar
22 hours ago
By AYA BATRAWY
Source: Yahoo News
By AYA BATRAWY
Source: Yahoo News
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain said Wednesday they
have recalled their ambassadors from Qatar in the clearest move yet
underscoring their apparent displeasure over Doha's support for the
Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group in Egypt and elsewhere the region.
The three Gulf
Arab states made the announcement in a joint statement on state media,
saying Qatar had breached a regional security deal. They said the move
was made to protect their security.
Tensions
between the three and Doha intensified following the ouster of Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak in Arab Spring protests in early 2011. Mubarak
was long seen as a reliable Saudi ally and one whose disdain for
Islamist groups was in line with the kingdom's own.
Qatar's
massive financial and public support for Mubarak's successor, President
Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood, stood at odds with UAE
and Saudi policies — as did its condemnation of Morsi's ouster last July
by the Egyptian military, following days of massive protests in Cairo
against the Islamist president.
At
home, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have cracked down on Islamist
groups with links to the Brotherhood, which they see as a threat to
their ruling systems. They are both staunch supporters of Egypt's new
military-backed government, which subsequently launched sweeping
crackdowns on Morsi and his Brotherhood supporters.
The
joint Gulf statement said Qatar's ruler Emir Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani failed to uphold a security agreement that he signed in late
November in Saudi Arabia. The emir of Kuwait was a witness to the
meeting in Riyadh and the agreement was endorsed by other members in the
six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.
The agreement called on all GCC
members not to interfere, "whether directly or indirectly" in another
member nation's internal affairs. It also stipulated that GCC countries
would not support organizations or individuals that threaten the
security and stability of Arabian Peninsula countries "either through
direct security work or by attempting to influence politics."
The
language appeared to have been shorthand for support for the
Brotherhood and Qatar's funding of the Doha-based pan-Arab Al-Jazeera
network.
However, three months
after signing the agreement, no action was taken by Qatar despite
"great efforts" by the Gulf Arab nations to reach out to Doha's
leadership to fulfill its side of the deal, said the Saudi-UAE-Bahrain
statement.
Details of the November agreement were not made public until Wednesday.
Saudi analyst Anwar Edshki said the decision was a warning to Qatar to stop inciting violence by Islamists in Egypt.
"It is Qatar's right to support
the Muslim Brotherhood, but not its right to threaten security in Egypt
and incite the (people on the) street," he said.
Edshki,
who chairs the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in
Saudi Arabia, said Qatar's policies have created chaos in Libya, Yemen,
Syria and Egypt. However, what particularly disturbed Saudi Arabia and
the UAE more recently was how Qatar allowed Islamic cleric Youssef
el-Qaradawi to continue attacking the policies of these countries
publicly.
The withdrawal of
ambassadors from Qatar came after a meeting Tuesday in Riyadh of GCC
foreign ministers that tried to "persuade" Qatar to keep up its end of
the deal.
"However, all these
efforts have not resulted, with great regret, in the consent of the
State of Qatar to adhere to these procedures," the statement said. "So
the three countries have to start taking whatever they deem appropriate
to protect their security and stability by withdrawing their ambassadors
from the State of Qatar, as of today."
Though
Wednesday's announcement was unprecedented for the region, last month
the UAE signaled it was losing patience with Qatar when it summoned
Doha's ambassador to formally protest the comments of the outspoken
pro-Brotherhood el-Qaradawi who criticized the Gulf country's policies
toward Islamist groups on Qatari TV.
The Emirati leadership said Qatar should stop the Egyptian-born cleric from expressing comments critical of the UAE.
Even
though the UAE was part of Wednesday's three-state announcement, its
ambassador to Qatar has not been present in Doha for several months.
Monday, February 3, 2014
New Saudi counterterrorism law alarms activists
19 hours ago
By AYA BATRAWY
Source: Yahoo News
By AYA BATRAWY
Source: Yahoo News
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —
Saudi Arabia put into effect a sweeping new counterterrorism law Sunday
that human rights activists say allows the kingdom to prosecute as a
terrorist anyone who demands reform, exposes corruption or otherwise
engages in dissent.
The law states
that any act that "undermines" the state or society, including calls for
regime change in Saudi Arabia, can be tried as an act of terrorism. It
also grants security services broad powers to raid homes and track phone
calls and Internet activity.
Human
rights activists were alarmed by the law and said it is clearly aimed
at keeping the kingdom's ruling Al Saud family firmly in control amid
the demands for democratic reform that have grown louder since the Arab
Spring protests that shook the region in 2011 and toppled longtime
autocrats.
Saudi activist
Abdulaziz al-Shubaily described the law as a "catastrophe." And Human
Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle warned: "The new law is draconian in
spirit and letter, and there is every reason to fear that the
authorities will easily and eagerly use it against peaceful dissidents."
The
measure was approved by the Cabinet on Dec. 16 and ratified by King
Abdullah. It was published in its entirety for the first time on Friday
in the government's official gazette Um Al-Qura.
In
defense of the law, the Saudi minister of culture and information,
Abdel Aziz Khoja, was quoted in December as saying that the legislation
strikes a balance between prevention of crimes and protection of human
rights according to Islamic law.
Saudi Arabia is one of the
world's last absolute monarchies. All decisions are centered in the
hands of 89-year-old King Abdullah. There is no parliament. There is
little written law, and judges — implementing the country's strict
Wahhabi interpretation of Islam — have broad leeway to impose verdicts
and sentences.
An attempt to
pass a similar counterterrorism law in 2011 was shelved after rights
groups in Saudi Arabia and abroad leaked a copy online.
Since
then, dozens of activists have been detained, a prominent rights
organization was shut down, and authorities more aggressively monitor
social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, where jokes about the
aging monarchy are rife and anger over corruption, poverty and
unemployment is palpable.
The
new law defines terrorism as any criminal act that "destabilizes the
society's security or the state's stability or exposes its national
unity to harm." It also states that terrorist acts include disabling the
ruling system or "offending the nation's reputation or its position."
Activists
said that simply exposing corruption could be seen as a violation of
the law. Some also warned that Saudi women who get behind the wheel of a
car in violation of the ban on female drivers could be tried under the
new anti-terror law.
The law also gives the interior
minister the power to end sentences and drop charges. It says only the
interior minister can order the release of a person on trial. Judges
would have no say.
Other
worrying aspects, activists said, include an article that says police
can raid homes and offices on suspicion of anti-government activity
without prior approval from a judge or even a superior. Suspects can
also be held incommunicado for 90 days, and lawyers are not required to
be present during the initial interrogation.
Lori
Plotkin Boghardt of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said
the new law will not likely have a huge impact on the way in which the
Saudis fight militants. She said the law provides technical cover for
many of the measures the authorities were employing.
Coogle
of Human Rights Watch said the law "enshrines some of the unlawful
practices that Saudi authorities were already committing," such as
detention of suspects for many years without trial. He said it also does
not specify the punishment for crimes committed under the new law.
However,
he said the measure does not include some of the most controversial
language of the 2011 draft, which went further by criminalizing insults
against Islam and protests as acts of terrorism.
Al-Shubaily
is among 12 activists in the country who founded the Saudi Association
for Civil and Political Rights, known in Arabic by its acronym HASEM.
The group was shut down, eight of its founding members were imprisoned,
and he is facing trial.
"If I
call for the release of someone from jail for being held longer than
their sentence, I can be tried for 'asking the state to take action,'"
al-Shubaily said. "When I call for a constitutional monarchy, I can now
be charged with terrorism."
"They characterize you as a terrorist because you ask the kingdom to do something it does not want to do" he added.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saudi Arabia, Zionism, Peace and the Palestinian Cause
12. Jul, 2011
By Haytham A. K. Radwan
Intifada Palestine.com
(Adelaide, Australia) – The attempts to destroy the Palestinian Cause have been on the drawing board of the Al Saud’s alliance with Zionism and the West for at least 63 years. Today, not only are they fighting against the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to resist occupation, they are doing everything in their power to prevent them from returning to their indigenous land in favour of Israel.
Established as a kingdom without an independent strategic plan or a sense of nationalism, Saudi Arabia has sought to destabilize Billad el-Cham[1] in order to undermine the Palestinian cause in favour of Zionism and the West. Indeed, since the occupation of Palestine in 1948 the kingdom has persevered with it mission to strengthen Zionism by inciting disputes between rival groups. This has had the effect of destabilising the region so that Zionism and Israel’s occupation of the territory of Billad el-Cham continue, though Riyadh disguises its activities and policies under the banner of Islam, peace and its relationship with the West. Today, the mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to strengthen Zionism continues, this being accomplished by undermining popular regional and national resistance movements, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, in order to destroy their confidence and their willingness to resist Israel’s Zionist projects. This paper seeks to shed light on Saudi efforts to undermine the Palestinian cause for the sake of Israel through the propagation of myths, by destroying all forms of resistance, and by instigating peace initiatives which it knows will ultimately be ineffective.
Palestine and the Saudi Myth
This year (2011) marks the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, the illegal occupation of Palestine by the Zionist movement.[2] However, not all Arab countries have resisted Zionist projects in Palestine, notable among them being Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Al Saud have created the myth that the Saudis have used their position as an oil supplier, as a valuable friend and ally of Western nations, and as the protectors of the most important Islamic sites, Mecca and Medina, to help liberate Palestine. Saudi Arabia’s message to Arab people and to Muslims everywhere is that the kingdom is acting in support of Palestine and its displaced population. Additionally, the kingdom has fostered the notion that it is not in conflict with the establishment of Israel in Palestine and is willing to do everything in its power to restore peace between Israel and the Palestinians. It is argued here that these messages have been accepted uncritically by the media, and this situation has served the House of Saud – as well as Zionism – very effectively. However, many (or most) Palestinians have resisted the message very effectively. Indeed, research into the events of the past 60 years or more reveal a very different situation from the reports provided in the media, and it is evident that there has been a high degree of on-going Saudi cooperation with Israel. Indeed, Saudi Arabia negotiated with the British Foreign Office and with Churchill, expressing its willingness to accept openly the Jewish claim to Palestine in return for Britain withholding support from its Hashemite rivals, and in doing so the Saudis ignored calls by King Ghazi of Iraq to form a common Arab front to defend Palestine. Then, as events unfolded during 1948 Saudi Arabia remained on the sidelines and refused to contribute forces to liberate Palestine. Furthermore, when the 1948 Arab-Israeli War ended, the kingdom withheld financial support from the Egyptian and Jordanian forces still occupying parts of Palestine, and it made every effort to prevent Syria from uniting with Iraq to create a military counterweight to Israel.The kingdom also refused to contemplate the possible use of oil to pressure the US into a more even-handed Palestinian policy.[3]
Since 1948 Saudi conspiracies against the Palestinian cause have continued through secret meetings and communications between Saudi government officials and princes and the Israelis. According to statesmen, senior military officers and former intelligence officers, the former Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar, has maintained regular contact with Israel since at least 1990. Moreover, evidence indicates that such contacts occurred much earlier; for example, in 1976 the Saudi government secretly sent a letter, via Tunisian Foreign Minister, Mohammed Masmoudi, to Israel offering a large sum of money in return for withdrawing from the occupied territories.[4]
Saudi efforts to destroy the Palestinian cause even entailed military plans. Accordingly, in 2009 when the Gaza attack occurred, Saudi Arabia was in support of Israel, and repeatedly met the chief of Mossad to plan an attack on Iran, the main supporter of Hamas, the most influential anti-Israeli movement in the occupied land. Similarly, during the conflict along the Israel- Lebanon border in 2006, the Saudis allegedly contacted the Israelis, the top-selling Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot reporting that Israel and Saudi Arabia had been conducting secret negotiations.[5] It appears, then that while Hezbollah was fighting for the interests of both Lebanon and Palestine – and for all Arab countries – the Saudis were conspiring against it by collaborating with Israel.
Secret meetings and military planning between the Saudis and the Israelis have not been the only conspiracies to undermine the Palestinian cause. For instance, in 1958 the Saudis endeavoured to put an end to unity plans between Iraq and Jordan after a pro-Nasser coup d’état succeeded in overthrowing Iraq’s Hashemite monarchy. The Hashemite had long been the strongest traditional Arab force, but they were displaced when Ibn Saud forced them from Mecca in 1924 and Medina in 1925. Then in 1921 the British placed Faisal on the throne in Jordan, and shortly afterwards, in 1923, granted Abdullah control of Iraq. These Hashemite princes were outsiders, but the British used religious differences to justify their actions to the Arab people by asserting that the Hashemite lineage could be traced back to Muhammad. They also worked hard to put an end to the Syrian-Egyptian union (described at the time as the United Arab Republic) which lasted from 1958 until 1961.[6]
The secret relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel has not been intended to help the Palestinian people nor is it to maintain stability and peace in the region. Instead, it has sought to increase the threat of terrorism, a situation which is favourable both to Israel and the House of Saud. Indeed, their relationship can be considered to be lower than that between al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the differences between the two are akin to the differences between the act of war and terrorism. Both have supported terror and war to justify their expansionism. Saudi Arabia has used Islam and its wealth to further its cause. Israel has used Saudi Arabia’s wealth, Islam, its military superiority, and its contacts with the West to achieve its objectives.
Thus, the interaction between the Saudi royal family and the Anglo-American-Israeli alliance has dangerously strengthened anti-secular and national movements in Billad el-Cham. Also it has deepened the divisions that emerged during the period of colonial rule in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Indeed, events show that the Saudi royal family has stood against Syrian nationalism and the liberation of Palestine in order to strengthen Saudi-style religious movements.[7] However, what now concerns the Saudis is the threat that Syrian nationalism can cause to the existence of the royal family and its Wahhabi mission within Billad el-Cham. Similarly, what worries Israel and the West is the threat that nationalism can cause to the existence of the State of Israel.
Unlike the Saudis, who have never realised that Zionism constitutes a threat both to Billad el-Cham and to the kingdom itself, the people of Billad el-Cham have seen the emergence of Israel as a real threat to the security and stability of the entire Middle East. This danger lay in the Zionist endeavour to establish an exclusively Jewish state in Billad el-Cham based on the claim that the Jewish people had an ancient, inherent and inalienable right to Palestine.[8] This endeavour has been founded on the belief that the Jews constitute a nation, yet such a belief is unwarranted because the Jews are very diverse racially, socially, and culturally.[9] Indeed, for the liberation of Palestine in particular, and the existence of Billad el-Cham in general, the Zionist threat cannot be denied. Zionist Jews have claimed an historic title of the Jewish people to Palestine even though they are not descendants of the original inhabitants of the country.[10] Historically, the Jews, or the Israelites, arrived in the land of Canaan as immigrants and they then lived with the Canaanites. However, there was never peaceful coexistence between them and the Philistines, who also came to the land of Canaan almost contemporaneously with them. The Israelites eventually disappeared from Palestine after their deportation by the Romans following their second revolt in AD 132-5. Moreover, the Jews who migrated to Palestine in the twentieth century showed no disposition to share the country or to coexist with the Palestinians. Rather, they were determined to realize the political ambitions defined by the World Zionist Organization, to create an exclusively Jewish state.[11]
Today, like the West, the Saudis continue to do everything in their power to strengthen Zionism and weaken Syrian nationalism. Within Billad el-Cham this is continuing to this day; Israel is using similar tactics in order to justify its wars against the Palestinians, Lebanese and the Syrians in the occupied territories while the Saudis, like the West, have done little to end the crises by putting a stop to Israel’s step-by-step expansionism. However, these policies are having an impact on the behaviour of Muslim sects, on radical organizations, and on US-backed political parties within Billad el-Cham. Similarly they are affecting the behaviour of the Zionists and Saudi Arabia. For example, Israel and the US are using Saudi Arabia’s influence in the Persian Gulf to destabilize Iran. However, there may be unforeseen consequences for these policies will impact on the security of Saudi Arabia itself and not just Iran.
Using Iran as an Excuse to Weaken the Palestinian Cause
Today, the Saudi royal family continues the policy of Ibn Saud in harming the Palestinian cause, although the Palestine question remains important for Saudi policy-makers. This is so not because of the sensitivities of the Palestinian crisis but because of growing Iranian influence in the occupied land. This may explain why Saudi Arabia is opposing the Iranian-backed democratically elected anti-Israel Sunni government led by Hamas while supporting the unpopular Fatah government led by Mahmud Abbas. Indeed, Saudi officials have repeatedly stated that Iranian support for Hamas has widened the rift with Fatah and hampers a resumption of peace talks.[12]
This situation helps explain why, during a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in February 2010, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal expressed support for United Nation sanctions against Iran because of Iran’s military support for Hamas and Hezbollah. The Foreign Minister commented:
We see the issue [Iran's nuclear program] in the shorter term maybe because we are closer to the threat … So we need an immediate resolution rather than a gradual resolution [sanctions].[13]
However, by June, as the UN Security Council passed a new round of sanctions against Iran, The Times in London published a report stating that:
Defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.[14]
At this point it is relevant to note that Zionism has been successful in influencing policies and events in Saudi Arabia. It has been successful in convincing the Saudi royal family that Iran is a threat to their existence and that the royal family needs to co-operate with Israel to ensure the kingdom’s safety. Indeed, the Saudis have apparently accepted the view that they need Israel as a back-up in any future confrontation with Iran. Israel is still considered to be an enemy in the eyes of Arab and Muslim people, and though Iran is a Muslim country and shares similar values and interests with Arabs nevertheless Saudi Arabia still favours Israel. This is evident today. At present, Saudi policy regarding Iran is aligned with that of Israel, and both are sectarian in nature and publically political. A Saudi/ Sunni war against the Shias would achieve Israel’s aim of destroying Iran’s growing power, but from an Israeli standpoint such a conflict would be to the benefit of Zionism which is hostile to both Shias and Sunnis.
Today, Saudi policy makers are keeping pressure on Iran regardless of the fact that Iran is seeking to counter-balance Israel’s hegemony in the region. It is widely believed that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, but this seems to ignore the fact that Israel is already a nuclear state. There is no evidence yet that Iran is developing weapons of mass destruction, however Saudi Arabia chooses to insist that Iran is a threat to the region and in so doing is ignoring Israel’s nuclear capabilities.
It seems that Iran’s enmity toward Saudi Arabia has a more immediate strategic cause. Iran is not going to forgive Saudi Arabia’s political stand with the US against Iran’s nuclear interests, nor is it going to forget Saudi Arabia’s support for Saddam Hussein’s forces in the Iran/Iraq conflict in the 1980s. Indeed, Tehran’s main hostility stems from the belief that Saudi Arabia is covertly co-operating with its enemies on three fronts. Firstly, the government in Tehran believes that the Saudis collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the abduction of an Iranian nuclear scientist in 2009. Iran accused Saudi Arabia of assisting the CIA abduction of Shahram Amiri while he was in Mecca, this view being confirmed by Amiri who stated on his return from the US that the CIA has kidnapped him with the help of Saudis. Secondly, the Iranian regime suspects that the Saudis have agreed to support Israel in planning a’ ‘surgical strike’ against Iran’s nuclear facility, and thirdly, that the Saudi government has been providing ideological support for Iran’s main domestic terrorist group, the Jundallah.[15]
Unworkable Peace Process
Soon after the events of 9/11 King Abdullah negotiated the so-called ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ to avoid criticism from the West because 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. The initiative was produced in the 2002 Arab Summit in Beirut, but in the subsequent ten years Israel has refused to comply, and Saudi Arabia has taken no steps to implement it.
In the light of these events it is reasonable to question whether Saudi Arabia could solve the crises through peace negotiation and whether Saudi Arabia is able to pressure Israel to make peace. It is argued here that there is no evidence to suggest that Israel is dedicated to peace in the region. Nor is there evidence that Saudi Arabia would cease supporting Zionism or reduce its loyalty to the US, especially since the US itself is under Zionist control.
Theoretically, peace is represented in contemporary literature as a ‘liberal peace’: that is, an institutional peace to provide international governance and guarantees, a constitutional peace to ensure democracy and free trade, and a civil peace to ensure freedoms and rights within society.[16] However, these distinctions mean little to people living under occupation and in refugee camps.
But in reality, peace with Israel means recognizing the Zionist state as a sovereign political entity, something Palestinians refuse to accept. Accordingly, the peace process is not welcomed in Billad el-Cham in general and Palestine in particular. For the people of the region there are deep disagreements about the issue of peace with Israel. Additionally, there is a growing awareness among the indigenous inhabitants of the Middle East that Israel has become firmly entrenched, but despite this there has not been a commensurate shift in support for Israel’s presence; to the contrary, opposition to Israel remains as high as ever.[17]
It is proposed here that a peace arrangement between Israel and its neighbours would legitimize injustice because millions of displaced Palestinians still live in refugee camps abroad, a state of affairs in violation of basic human rights. Although much is heard about the plight of the Jews in the holocaust, little is said about the Palestinians who fled from their homeland. It is clear that Israelis have no intention of living peacefully with the Palestinians, and evidence of this can be seen in the relentless extension of settlements on Palestinian land. This process is exacerbating the refugee problem by forcing the remaining Palestinian inhabitants to cross into Jordan. Despite this worsening situation Saudi Arabia is doing nothing except encourage Mahmud Abbas to continue peace talks with Israel and by supporting the Oslo Agreement, although the kingdom’s rulers know that the Oslo process is unlikely to contribute to a lasting peace. In 2002, King Abdullah proposed peace in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders. Israel did not accept his initiative. Five years later (in March 2007) that proposal was revived, but, as before, it produced no tangible results, and Saudi Arabia was still unwilling and unable to force Israel’s hand on the matter. Instead, the Saudis are now cooperating with Israel to prepare an air strike against Iran, a new fabricated enemy to replace the original enemy of all Arabs, Israel.
Peace between Israelis and Palestinians may never be achievable regardless of the efforts of the Israelis and Saudis because Israel has no roots in the region. Palestine has been occupied, it has been renamed Israel, and the original inhabitants have been forced to flee their homeland. Consequently, Israel can never really achieve a lasting peace with people who they have displaced. Some may argue that Israel has signed a peace treaty with Egypt and Jordan, countries with whom they now enjoy relatively peaceful relationships. But are those treaties sustainable? It is argued that they are not because while Governments may sign treaties those arrangements may never be accepted by the public, especially after so many years of bloodshed and injustice. Public feelings on the matter are becoming more evident today in Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere, where anti-Israeli slogans are appearing more often. Can the Saudi government continue to resist (or ignore) rising public sentiment today, and can its petrodollars, allies, and political advocates, both internal and external, protect the world from growing sectarianism, extremism and terrorism?
Today, although Palestinians have not forgotten the lessons of military power and occupation, Saudi Arabia still believes that peace with Israel is achievable and that Israel itself is serious about making peace and ensuring justice. It is insisting that the Palestinian (and Lebanese) resistance to Israel must be halted in order to resume peace negotiations. Saudi Arabia’s rulers have repeatedly witnessed Israel’s rejection of many offers of peace and Israel’s recourse to violence and expansion of settlement, yet they insist that the Palestinians must negotiate peace with Israel.
Meanwhile, injustice can result in more violence, propelling people to acts of resistance in order to gain justice. In the eyes of the international community, Israel has persistently violated international law which requires it to recognise the rights of the indigenous Palestinian people. The occupation is illegal, the Palestinians have been confined to small areas in Gaza and the West Bank and have remained under siege, and displaced people have been prevented from returning to their native land – all acts being condemned by natural and human laws. In the meantime, Israel, protected by the US, has caused many Palestinian deaths and condemned many others to a life of agony and despair. Thus, a just settlement would require an independent and an honest broker, Western or non-Western, but can this happen?
So far the international community has been unable and unwilling to solve the crisis in Palestine. Similarly, it has demonstrated unwillingness to challenge the Saudis for their tacit support for the status quo. Indeed, for the American government the occupation of Arab and Muslim territory, and the displacement of its population are convenient ways to force the hand of the Saudi, Arab, and Muslim people.
In summary, this paper has examined the Saudi-Zionist efforts to undermine the Palestinian cause. While these policies have succeeded in some places, they have failed to be effective in Palestine, as well as in other places in Billad el-Cham. Failure to win over the hearts and minds of people in the region has caused the Saudi-Israeli-Western policy makers to forge what they called “the New Middle East”. But for this new vision to succeed will entail the destruction of regimes regardless of whether these regimes are secular or Islamic. This also requires the destruction of groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and of leaders who are willing to stand in opposition.
Bibliography;
Aburish, SK 1994, the Rise, Corruption, and Coming Fall of the House of Saud, Bloomsbury, London, p: 122-23.
Beshara, A 1995, ‘Syrian Nationalism: An Inquiry into the Political Philosophy of Antun Sa’adeh’, in The Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, ed. E Melhem, The SSNP, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
BakistaniDefence.com 2006, Saudi Arabia and Israel in secret Contacts, viewed 4 July 2011, available at :< http://forum.pakistanidefence.com/index.php?showtopic=59375>.
Heydarian, R-J 2010, Iran-Saudi rivalry deepens, updated 16 August, Asia Times, viewed 10 August 2010,.
Karam, S 2010, Hamas in final stage of Fatah reconciliation, updated 16 August, Reuters, viewed 16 August 2010,.
Khashan, H 1994, ‘Are the Arabs Ready for Peace with Israel’ the Middle East Quarterly vol. 1, no. 1.
Melhem E 2007, the Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
Richmond, O-P 2008, ‘Reclaiming Peace in International Relations’, Millennium – Journal of International Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, p. 439.
Tomlinson, H 2010, Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites, updated 11 July 2011, The Times, viewed 7 July 2011,.
Schwartz, C 2008, Saudi-Israeli alliance not new, updated 11 July 2011, Transatlantic Institute, viewed 7 July 2011,.
[1] The name Billad el-Cham generally referred to geographical Syria (Greater Syria or the Fertile Crescent). Geographical Syria extends from the Taurus Mountains in the north to the Sinai in the south, and between the Mediterranean in the west to the desert in the east. The present-day borders of Billad el-Cham are seen as illegitimate imperial divisions, imposed by the Anglo-French Sykes–Picot Agreement, the Turkish annexation of Alexandretta in 1939, and the creation of Israel in Palestine.
[2] Soon after the end of World War II, there were three basic Para-military Zionist organizations in Palestine working against the Palestinian people with the purpose of driving them out of Palestine. However, with their victory intact, the Zionist brigades – the Haganah – later united with the Irgun terrorist organization to create the Tzva Haganah le Yisrael -the Israeli Defence Forces. Today, the IDF has become the most equipped military in the Middle East. The United States continue to make sure that Israel is equipped with the latest weapons, despite that it’s military started as a terrorist organisation.
[3]Aburish SK 1994, the Rise, Corruption, and Coming Fall of the House of Saud, Bloomsbury, London, p: 122-23.
[4] See Schwartz, C 2008, Saudi-Israeli alliance not new, updated 11 July 2011, Transatlantic Institute, viewed 7 July 2011,.
[5]Quoted in BakistaniDefence.com 2006, Saudi Arabia and Israel in secret Contacts, viewed 4 July 2011, available at:.
[6]Aburish SK 1994, the Rise, Corruption, and Coming Fall of the House of Saud, Bloomsbury, London, p: 122-23.
[7] The ideology of Syrian nationalism views geographical and historical Syria as a one nation state. Today, no Syrian nationalist can forget the list of tragedies caused by the loss of Palestine and the creation of Israel (for details see Beshara, A 1995; Melhem, E 2007).
[8] See Beshara, A 1995, ‘Syrian Nationalism: An Inquiry into the Political Philosophy of Antun Sa’adeh’, in The Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, ed. E Melhem, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
[9] Ibid.
[10]Ibid.
[11]Melhem E 2007, The Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
[12]Karam, S 2010, Hamas in final stage of Fatah reconciliation, updated 16 August, Reuters, viewed 16 August,.
[13]Heydarian, R-J 2010, Iran-Saudi rivalry deepens, updated 16 August, Asia Times, viewed 10 August,.
[14]Tomlinson, H 2010, Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites, updated 11 July 2011, The Times, viewed 7 July 2011,.
[15] Ibid.
[16]Richmond, O-P 2008, ‘Reclaiming Peace in International Relations’, Millennium – Journal of International Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, p. 439.
[17] Khashan, H 1994, ‘Are the Arabs Ready for Peace with Israel?’ The Middle East Quarterly, vol. 1 no 1.
Haytham A. K. Radwan is a Syrian-Australian citizen living in Adelaide, Australia. He is currently completing Bachelor of Laws at the University of South Australia. He has completed a Masters in International Studies / Relations in 2011, and Bachelor degree in International Studies in 2006 at the University of South Australia. His Masters research examined Saudi Arabia’s Politics, Its Islam, and Its Relations with the U.S. As A Threat to World Stability: Myth or Reality. Haytham also studied Psychology and Education Studies in the early 1990s at Damascus University, Syria. He is been admitted into the Golden Key International Honour Society in 2006, awarded the University Merit Award in 2006, and the Chancellor’s Commendation in 2005 from the University of South Australia. He can be reached at: haustralia@hotmail.com
By Haytham A. K. Radwan
Intifada Palestine.com
(Adelaide, Australia) – The attempts to destroy the Palestinian Cause have been on the drawing board of the Al Saud’s alliance with Zionism and the West for at least 63 years. Today, not only are they fighting against the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to resist occupation, they are doing everything in their power to prevent them from returning to their indigenous land in favour of Israel.
Established as a kingdom without an independent strategic plan or a sense of nationalism, Saudi Arabia has sought to destabilize Billad el-Cham[1] in order to undermine the Palestinian cause in favour of Zionism and the West. Indeed, since the occupation of Palestine in 1948 the kingdom has persevered with it mission to strengthen Zionism by inciting disputes between rival groups. This has had the effect of destabilising the region so that Zionism and Israel’s occupation of the territory of Billad el-Cham continue, though Riyadh disguises its activities and policies under the banner of Islam, peace and its relationship with the West. Today, the mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to strengthen Zionism continues, this being accomplished by undermining popular regional and national resistance movements, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, in order to destroy their confidence and their willingness to resist Israel’s Zionist projects. This paper seeks to shed light on Saudi efforts to undermine the Palestinian cause for the sake of Israel through the propagation of myths, by destroying all forms of resistance, and by instigating peace initiatives which it knows will ultimately be ineffective.
Palestine and the Saudi Myth
This year (2011) marks the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, the illegal occupation of Palestine by the Zionist movement.[2] However, not all Arab countries have resisted Zionist projects in Palestine, notable among them being Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Al Saud have created the myth that the Saudis have used their position as an oil supplier, as a valuable friend and ally of Western nations, and as the protectors of the most important Islamic sites, Mecca and Medina, to help liberate Palestine. Saudi Arabia’s message to Arab people and to Muslims everywhere is that the kingdom is acting in support of Palestine and its displaced population. Additionally, the kingdom has fostered the notion that it is not in conflict with the establishment of Israel in Palestine and is willing to do everything in its power to restore peace between Israel and the Palestinians. It is argued here that these messages have been accepted uncritically by the media, and this situation has served the House of Saud – as well as Zionism – very effectively. However, many (or most) Palestinians have resisted the message very effectively. Indeed, research into the events of the past 60 years or more reveal a very different situation from the reports provided in the media, and it is evident that there has been a high degree of on-going Saudi cooperation with Israel. Indeed, Saudi Arabia negotiated with the British Foreign Office and with Churchill, expressing its willingness to accept openly the Jewish claim to Palestine in return for Britain withholding support from its Hashemite rivals, and in doing so the Saudis ignored calls by King Ghazi of Iraq to form a common Arab front to defend Palestine. Then, as events unfolded during 1948 Saudi Arabia remained on the sidelines and refused to contribute forces to liberate Palestine. Furthermore, when the 1948 Arab-Israeli War ended, the kingdom withheld financial support from the Egyptian and Jordanian forces still occupying parts of Palestine, and it made every effort to prevent Syria from uniting with Iraq to create a military counterweight to Israel.The kingdom also refused to contemplate the possible use of oil to pressure the US into a more even-handed Palestinian policy.[3]
Since 1948 Saudi conspiracies against the Palestinian cause have continued through secret meetings and communications between Saudi government officials and princes and the Israelis. According to statesmen, senior military officers and former intelligence officers, the former Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar, has maintained regular contact with Israel since at least 1990. Moreover, evidence indicates that such contacts occurred much earlier; for example, in 1976 the Saudi government secretly sent a letter, via Tunisian Foreign Minister, Mohammed Masmoudi, to Israel offering a large sum of money in return for withdrawing from the occupied territories.[4]
Saudi efforts to destroy the Palestinian cause even entailed military plans. Accordingly, in 2009 when the Gaza attack occurred, Saudi Arabia was in support of Israel, and repeatedly met the chief of Mossad to plan an attack on Iran, the main supporter of Hamas, the most influential anti-Israeli movement in the occupied land. Similarly, during the conflict along the Israel- Lebanon border in 2006, the Saudis allegedly contacted the Israelis, the top-selling Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot reporting that Israel and Saudi Arabia had been conducting secret negotiations.[5] It appears, then that while Hezbollah was fighting for the interests of both Lebanon and Palestine – and for all Arab countries – the Saudis were conspiring against it by collaborating with Israel.
Secret meetings and military planning between the Saudis and the Israelis have not been the only conspiracies to undermine the Palestinian cause. For instance, in 1958 the Saudis endeavoured to put an end to unity plans between Iraq and Jordan after a pro-Nasser coup d’état succeeded in overthrowing Iraq’s Hashemite monarchy. The Hashemite had long been the strongest traditional Arab force, but they were displaced when Ibn Saud forced them from Mecca in 1924 and Medina in 1925. Then in 1921 the British placed Faisal on the throne in Jordan, and shortly afterwards, in 1923, granted Abdullah control of Iraq. These Hashemite princes were outsiders, but the British used religious differences to justify their actions to the Arab people by asserting that the Hashemite lineage could be traced back to Muhammad. They also worked hard to put an end to the Syrian-Egyptian union (described at the time as the United Arab Republic) which lasted from 1958 until 1961.[6]
The secret relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel has not been intended to help the Palestinian people nor is it to maintain stability and peace in the region. Instead, it has sought to increase the threat of terrorism, a situation which is favourable both to Israel and the House of Saud. Indeed, their relationship can be considered to be lower than that between al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the differences between the two are akin to the differences between the act of war and terrorism. Both have supported terror and war to justify their expansionism. Saudi Arabia has used Islam and its wealth to further its cause. Israel has used Saudi Arabia’s wealth, Islam, its military superiority, and its contacts with the West to achieve its objectives.
Thus, the interaction between the Saudi royal family and the Anglo-American-Israeli alliance has dangerously strengthened anti-secular and national movements in Billad el-Cham. Also it has deepened the divisions that emerged during the period of colonial rule in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Indeed, events show that the Saudi royal family has stood against Syrian nationalism and the liberation of Palestine in order to strengthen Saudi-style religious movements.[7] However, what now concerns the Saudis is the threat that Syrian nationalism can cause to the existence of the royal family and its Wahhabi mission within Billad el-Cham. Similarly, what worries Israel and the West is the threat that nationalism can cause to the existence of the State of Israel.
Unlike the Saudis, who have never realised that Zionism constitutes a threat both to Billad el-Cham and to the kingdom itself, the people of Billad el-Cham have seen the emergence of Israel as a real threat to the security and stability of the entire Middle East. This danger lay in the Zionist endeavour to establish an exclusively Jewish state in Billad el-Cham based on the claim that the Jewish people had an ancient, inherent and inalienable right to Palestine.[8] This endeavour has been founded on the belief that the Jews constitute a nation, yet such a belief is unwarranted because the Jews are very diverse racially, socially, and culturally.[9] Indeed, for the liberation of Palestine in particular, and the existence of Billad el-Cham in general, the Zionist threat cannot be denied. Zionist Jews have claimed an historic title of the Jewish people to Palestine even though they are not descendants of the original inhabitants of the country.[10] Historically, the Jews, or the Israelites, arrived in the land of Canaan as immigrants and they then lived with the Canaanites. However, there was never peaceful coexistence between them and the Philistines, who also came to the land of Canaan almost contemporaneously with them. The Israelites eventually disappeared from Palestine after their deportation by the Romans following their second revolt in AD 132-5. Moreover, the Jews who migrated to Palestine in the twentieth century showed no disposition to share the country or to coexist with the Palestinians. Rather, they were determined to realize the political ambitions defined by the World Zionist Organization, to create an exclusively Jewish state.[11]
Today, like the West, the Saudis continue to do everything in their power to strengthen Zionism and weaken Syrian nationalism. Within Billad el-Cham this is continuing to this day; Israel is using similar tactics in order to justify its wars against the Palestinians, Lebanese and the Syrians in the occupied territories while the Saudis, like the West, have done little to end the crises by putting a stop to Israel’s step-by-step expansionism. However, these policies are having an impact on the behaviour of Muslim sects, on radical organizations, and on US-backed political parties within Billad el-Cham. Similarly they are affecting the behaviour of the Zionists and Saudi Arabia. For example, Israel and the US are using Saudi Arabia’s influence in the Persian Gulf to destabilize Iran. However, there may be unforeseen consequences for these policies will impact on the security of Saudi Arabia itself and not just Iran.
Using Iran as an Excuse to Weaken the Palestinian Cause
Today, the Saudi royal family continues the policy of Ibn Saud in harming the Palestinian cause, although the Palestine question remains important for Saudi policy-makers. This is so not because of the sensitivities of the Palestinian crisis but because of growing Iranian influence in the occupied land. This may explain why Saudi Arabia is opposing the Iranian-backed democratically elected anti-Israel Sunni government led by Hamas while supporting the unpopular Fatah government led by Mahmud Abbas. Indeed, Saudi officials have repeatedly stated that Iranian support for Hamas has widened the rift with Fatah and hampers a resumption of peace talks.[12]
This situation helps explain why, during a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in February 2010, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal expressed support for United Nation sanctions against Iran because of Iran’s military support for Hamas and Hezbollah. The Foreign Minister commented:
We see the issue [Iran's nuclear program] in the shorter term maybe because we are closer to the threat … So we need an immediate resolution rather than a gradual resolution [sanctions].[13]
However, by June, as the UN Security Council passed a new round of sanctions against Iran, The Times in London published a report stating that:
Defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.[14]
At this point it is relevant to note that Zionism has been successful in influencing policies and events in Saudi Arabia. It has been successful in convincing the Saudi royal family that Iran is a threat to their existence and that the royal family needs to co-operate with Israel to ensure the kingdom’s safety. Indeed, the Saudis have apparently accepted the view that they need Israel as a back-up in any future confrontation with Iran. Israel is still considered to be an enemy in the eyes of Arab and Muslim people, and though Iran is a Muslim country and shares similar values and interests with Arabs nevertheless Saudi Arabia still favours Israel. This is evident today. At present, Saudi policy regarding Iran is aligned with that of Israel, and both are sectarian in nature and publically political. A Saudi/ Sunni war against the Shias would achieve Israel’s aim of destroying Iran’s growing power, but from an Israeli standpoint such a conflict would be to the benefit of Zionism which is hostile to both Shias and Sunnis.
Today, Saudi policy makers are keeping pressure on Iran regardless of the fact that Iran is seeking to counter-balance Israel’s hegemony in the region. It is widely believed that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, but this seems to ignore the fact that Israel is already a nuclear state. There is no evidence yet that Iran is developing weapons of mass destruction, however Saudi Arabia chooses to insist that Iran is a threat to the region and in so doing is ignoring Israel’s nuclear capabilities.
It seems that Iran’s enmity toward Saudi Arabia has a more immediate strategic cause. Iran is not going to forgive Saudi Arabia’s political stand with the US against Iran’s nuclear interests, nor is it going to forget Saudi Arabia’s support for Saddam Hussein’s forces in the Iran/Iraq conflict in the 1980s. Indeed, Tehran’s main hostility stems from the belief that Saudi Arabia is covertly co-operating with its enemies on three fronts. Firstly, the government in Tehran believes that the Saudis collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the abduction of an Iranian nuclear scientist in 2009. Iran accused Saudi Arabia of assisting the CIA abduction of Shahram Amiri while he was in Mecca, this view being confirmed by Amiri who stated on his return from the US that the CIA has kidnapped him with the help of Saudis. Secondly, the Iranian regime suspects that the Saudis have agreed to support Israel in planning a’ ‘surgical strike’ against Iran’s nuclear facility, and thirdly, that the Saudi government has been providing ideological support for Iran’s main domestic terrorist group, the Jundallah.[15]
Unworkable Peace Process
Soon after the events of 9/11 King Abdullah negotiated the so-called ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ to avoid criticism from the West because 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. The initiative was produced in the 2002 Arab Summit in Beirut, but in the subsequent ten years Israel has refused to comply, and Saudi Arabia has taken no steps to implement it.
In the light of these events it is reasonable to question whether Saudi Arabia could solve the crises through peace negotiation and whether Saudi Arabia is able to pressure Israel to make peace. It is argued here that there is no evidence to suggest that Israel is dedicated to peace in the region. Nor is there evidence that Saudi Arabia would cease supporting Zionism or reduce its loyalty to the US, especially since the US itself is under Zionist control.
Theoretically, peace is represented in contemporary literature as a ‘liberal peace’: that is, an institutional peace to provide international governance and guarantees, a constitutional peace to ensure democracy and free trade, and a civil peace to ensure freedoms and rights within society.[16] However, these distinctions mean little to people living under occupation and in refugee camps.
But in reality, peace with Israel means recognizing the Zionist state as a sovereign political entity, something Palestinians refuse to accept. Accordingly, the peace process is not welcomed in Billad el-Cham in general and Palestine in particular. For the people of the region there are deep disagreements about the issue of peace with Israel. Additionally, there is a growing awareness among the indigenous inhabitants of the Middle East that Israel has become firmly entrenched, but despite this there has not been a commensurate shift in support for Israel’s presence; to the contrary, opposition to Israel remains as high as ever.[17]
It is proposed here that a peace arrangement between Israel and its neighbours would legitimize injustice because millions of displaced Palestinians still live in refugee camps abroad, a state of affairs in violation of basic human rights. Although much is heard about the plight of the Jews in the holocaust, little is said about the Palestinians who fled from their homeland. It is clear that Israelis have no intention of living peacefully with the Palestinians, and evidence of this can be seen in the relentless extension of settlements on Palestinian land. This process is exacerbating the refugee problem by forcing the remaining Palestinian inhabitants to cross into Jordan. Despite this worsening situation Saudi Arabia is doing nothing except encourage Mahmud Abbas to continue peace talks with Israel and by supporting the Oslo Agreement, although the kingdom’s rulers know that the Oslo process is unlikely to contribute to a lasting peace. In 2002, King Abdullah proposed peace in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders. Israel did not accept his initiative. Five years later (in March 2007) that proposal was revived, but, as before, it produced no tangible results, and Saudi Arabia was still unwilling and unable to force Israel’s hand on the matter. Instead, the Saudis are now cooperating with Israel to prepare an air strike against Iran, a new fabricated enemy to replace the original enemy of all Arabs, Israel.
Peace between Israelis and Palestinians may never be achievable regardless of the efforts of the Israelis and Saudis because Israel has no roots in the region. Palestine has been occupied, it has been renamed Israel, and the original inhabitants have been forced to flee their homeland. Consequently, Israel can never really achieve a lasting peace with people who they have displaced. Some may argue that Israel has signed a peace treaty with Egypt and Jordan, countries with whom they now enjoy relatively peaceful relationships. But are those treaties sustainable? It is argued that they are not because while Governments may sign treaties those arrangements may never be accepted by the public, especially after so many years of bloodshed and injustice. Public feelings on the matter are becoming more evident today in Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere, where anti-Israeli slogans are appearing more often. Can the Saudi government continue to resist (or ignore) rising public sentiment today, and can its petrodollars, allies, and political advocates, both internal and external, protect the world from growing sectarianism, extremism and terrorism?
Today, although Palestinians have not forgotten the lessons of military power and occupation, Saudi Arabia still believes that peace with Israel is achievable and that Israel itself is serious about making peace and ensuring justice. It is insisting that the Palestinian (and Lebanese) resistance to Israel must be halted in order to resume peace negotiations. Saudi Arabia’s rulers have repeatedly witnessed Israel’s rejection of many offers of peace and Israel’s recourse to violence and expansion of settlement, yet they insist that the Palestinians must negotiate peace with Israel.
Meanwhile, injustice can result in more violence, propelling people to acts of resistance in order to gain justice. In the eyes of the international community, Israel has persistently violated international law which requires it to recognise the rights of the indigenous Palestinian people. The occupation is illegal, the Palestinians have been confined to small areas in Gaza and the West Bank and have remained under siege, and displaced people have been prevented from returning to their native land – all acts being condemned by natural and human laws. In the meantime, Israel, protected by the US, has caused many Palestinian deaths and condemned many others to a life of agony and despair. Thus, a just settlement would require an independent and an honest broker, Western or non-Western, but can this happen?
So far the international community has been unable and unwilling to solve the crisis in Palestine. Similarly, it has demonstrated unwillingness to challenge the Saudis for their tacit support for the status quo. Indeed, for the American government the occupation of Arab and Muslim territory, and the displacement of its population are convenient ways to force the hand of the Saudi, Arab, and Muslim people.
In summary, this paper has examined the Saudi-Zionist efforts to undermine the Palestinian cause. While these policies have succeeded in some places, they have failed to be effective in Palestine, as well as in other places in Billad el-Cham. Failure to win over the hearts and minds of people in the region has caused the Saudi-Israeli-Western policy makers to forge what they called “the New Middle East”. But for this new vision to succeed will entail the destruction of regimes regardless of whether these regimes are secular or Islamic. This also requires the destruction of groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and of leaders who are willing to stand in opposition.
Bibliography;
Aburish, SK 1994, the Rise, Corruption, and Coming Fall of the House of Saud, Bloomsbury, London, p: 122-23.
Beshara, A 1995, ‘Syrian Nationalism: An Inquiry into the Political Philosophy of Antun Sa’adeh’, in The Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, ed. E Melhem, The SSNP, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
BakistaniDefence.com 2006, Saudi Arabia and Israel in secret Contacts, viewed 4 July 2011, available at :< http://forum.pakistanidefence.com/index.php?showtopic=59375>.
Heydarian, R-J 2010, Iran-Saudi rivalry deepens, updated 16 August, Asia Times, viewed 10 August 2010,
Karam, S 2010, Hamas in final stage of Fatah reconciliation, updated 16 August, Reuters, viewed 16 August 2010,
Khashan, H 1994, ‘Are the Arabs Ready for Peace with Israel’ the Middle East Quarterly vol. 1, no. 1.
Melhem E 2007, the Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
Richmond, O-P 2008, ‘Reclaiming Peace in International Relations’, Millennium – Journal of International Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, p. 439.
Tomlinson, H 2010, Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites, updated 11 July 2011, The Times, viewed 7 July 2011,
Schwartz, C 2008, Saudi-Israeli alliance not new, updated 11 July 2011, Transatlantic Institute, viewed 7 July 2011,
[1] The name Billad el-Cham generally referred to geographical Syria (Greater Syria or the Fertile Crescent). Geographical Syria extends from the Taurus Mountains in the north to the Sinai in the south, and between the Mediterranean in the west to the desert in the east. The present-day borders of Billad el-Cham are seen as illegitimate imperial divisions, imposed by the Anglo-French Sykes–Picot Agreement, the Turkish annexation of Alexandretta in 1939, and the creation of Israel in Palestine.
[2] Soon after the end of World War II, there were three basic Para-military Zionist organizations in Palestine working against the Palestinian people with the purpose of driving them out of Palestine. However, with their victory intact, the Zionist brigades – the Haganah – later united with the Irgun terrorist organization to create the Tzva Haganah le Yisrael -the Israeli Defence Forces. Today, the IDF has become the most equipped military in the Middle East. The United States continue to make sure that Israel is equipped with the latest weapons, despite that it’s military started as a terrorist organisation.
[3]Aburish SK 1994, the Rise, Corruption, and Coming Fall of the House of Saud, Bloomsbury, London, p: 122-23.
[4] See Schwartz, C 2008, Saudi-Israeli alliance not new, updated 11 July 2011, Transatlantic Institute, viewed 7 July 2011,
[5]Quoted in BakistaniDefence.com 2006, Saudi Arabia and Israel in secret Contacts, viewed 4 July 2011, available at:
[6]Aburish SK 1994, the Rise, Corruption, and Coming Fall of the House of Saud, Bloomsbury, London, p: 122-23.
[7] The ideology of Syrian nationalism views geographical and historical Syria as a one nation state. Today, no Syrian nationalist can forget the list of tragedies caused by the loss of Palestine and the creation of Israel (for details see Beshara, A 1995; Melhem, E 2007).
[8] See Beshara, A 1995, ‘Syrian Nationalism: An Inquiry into the Political Philosophy of Antun Sa’adeh’, in The Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, ed. E Melhem, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
[9] Ibid.
[10]Ibid.
[11]Melhem E 2007, The Road to Revolution: The First Syrian Social Nationalist Revolution against the Lebanese Government, Melbourne, pp. 36-37.
[12]Karam, S 2010, Hamas in final stage of Fatah reconciliation, updated 16 August, Reuters, viewed 16 August,
[13]Heydarian, R-J 2010, Iran-Saudi rivalry deepens, updated 16 August, Asia Times, viewed 10 August,
[14]Tomlinson, H 2010, Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites, updated 11 July 2011, The Times, viewed 7 July 2011,
[15] Ibid.
[16]Richmond, O-P 2008, ‘Reclaiming Peace in International Relations’, Millennium – Journal of International Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, p. 439.
[17] Khashan, H 1994, ‘Are the Arabs Ready for Peace with Israel?’ The Middle East Quarterly, vol. 1 no 1.
Haytham A. K. Radwan is a Syrian-Australian citizen living in Adelaide, Australia. He is currently completing Bachelor of Laws at the University of South Australia. He has completed a Masters in International Studies / Relations in 2011, and Bachelor degree in International Studies in 2006 at the University of South Australia. His Masters research examined Saudi Arabia’s Politics, Its Islam, and Its Relations with the U.S. As A Threat to World Stability: Myth or Reality. Haytham also studied Psychology and Education Studies in the early 1990s at Damascus University, Syria. He is been admitted into the Golden Key International Honour Society in 2006, awarded the University Merit Award in 2006, and the Chancellor’s Commendation in 2005 from the University of South Australia. He can be reached at: haustralia@hotmail.com
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