A brief look at the personality of Sheikh al-Nimr concerning the deteriorated situation in Saudi Arabia and the serious consequences of the execution of Sheikh al-Nimr.
Saudi Arabia is the epitome of oppression having over 30,000 political prisoners languishing in prison, and performing 84th beheading in 2015. [1] Recently a Saudi Arabian court has confirmed death sentence and capital punishment for Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a leader of anti-government protests. [2] Sheikh al-Nimr is a man of letters and community teacher who has dedicated his life to advocating peaceful change and social justice that made him a symbol of both resistance and a hope that peaceful change in the country is still possible.
Unfortunately, under the ruling of Saudi kings the Shiite minority have suffered from religious oppression for many decades. "ESOHR" (European Saudi Organization for Human Rights) is concerned over the Shiite minority situation in Saudi Arabia, after decades of systematic hate speech by official religious institutions against Shiite minority. [3] Due to these kinds of sectarian discriminations practices by official agencies, the existence of the Shiite minority in Saudi today is in danger. For instance, on 03/11/2014, a group of terrorists opened fire on a Shiite crowd at Shiite shrine (AlMustafa) in (Aldaloh) village in the AlAhsa province east of Saudi Arabia. [4]
According to ESOHR the weakening of Shiite minority is due to several factors, including: 1. Exclusion from official influential positions in the administration and political decision. 2. Unrecognition of the Shia doctrine on a constitutional and legal level. 3. Advocating and supporting the hate speech and to the citizens/residents against the Shiites and encouraging a social isolation and boycott. 4. The official mainstream media has not only neglected the Shiites, but even publishing hate speech. There are many articles against Shiites, which criminalize; betray and takfeer them. 5. The geographical isolation of the Shia population in a limited area and even shrinking their area, and giving a large portions to other Sunni neighboring. 6. A deteriorating human rights situation through the systematic targeting of civil societies and institutions in the absence of an official legislative law to establish civil organizations. [5]
Resisting against the aforementioned discriminations against Shiites in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh al-Nimr stood tall for Saudi Arabia’s Shia population, a group that for centuries has endured a brutal and often bloody sectarian-motivated crackdown. Sheikh al-Nimr resists against monarchy demanding equal rights for all Saudis but the court made unwise and dangerous decision sentencing him to death.
Analysts are of the view that the already chaotic situation in Saudi Arabia would become more deteriorated if the Saudi authorities execute sheikh al-Nimr. According to them, This year the tragedy of haj stampede in which hundreds of pilgrims lost their lives and thousands of them injured proved that the Saudi Arabia’s military invasion of Yemen caused unfavorable conditions in the country. As a result the situation in Saudi is provocative therefore sectarian approaches against its citizens will deteriorate the situation.
Conclusively, the execution of Sheikh al-Nimr will have dire consequences for Saudi Arabia due to the fact that the situation in Saudi Arabia is already provocative. According to the statistics About 7,000 people have lost their lives in the Saudi strikes, and a total of nearly 14,000 people have been injured since March 26. [6]
Based on the mentioned reasons Saudi rulers must hear voice of their people and the international organizations [7] overturning the death sentence against the Shiite religious leader.
Notes:
[1] See: https://www.rt.com/news/259445-saudi-arabia-beheading-execution/
[2] See: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/saudi-arabia-court-confirms-shia-c...
[3] http://www.esohr.org/en/?p=162
[4] ibid.
[5] ibid.
[6] http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/25/434944/Iran-Saudi-Arabia-Nimr-Am...
[7] United Nations Secretary called on Riyadh to halt the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. See: http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2015/10/29/901270/un-urges-saudi-arabi...