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Funeral for Saudi Shiites Turns Into Show of Unity
Sunnis Turn Out to Support Those Killed in a Terrorist Attack
http://online.wsj.com/articles/funeral-for-saudi-shiites-turns-into-show-of-unity-1415578647
Saudi mourners on Friday attend the funeral of eight Shiite victims
killed earlier this week by masked gunmen in the town of Dalwa. Agence
France-Presse/Getty Images
By
Ahmed Al Omran
Nov. 9, 2014 7:17 p.m. ET
0 COMMENTS
DALWA, Saudi Arabia—Tens of thousands poured into a small village in
eastern Saudi Arabia to mourn members of the country’s Shiite minority
killed in a terrorist attack that shattered the calm in this desert
oasis.
Dalwa, at the foot of a mountain and surrounded by date farms,
overflowed on Friday with people from neighboring towns and cities
across the kingdom who came to take part in one of the largest funerals
the country has seen in recent years.
Eight Shiites, most of them teenagers, were killed on Monday when three
masked men opened fire on a gathering outside a hall Shiite Muslims use
for religious occasions called a “husseiniya.” It was the penultimate
day of Ashura, a 10-day Shiite Muslim observance that commemorates the
death of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam’s most revered leaders, more
than 1,300 years ago. For Saudi Arabia, the attack on Shiite worshipers
was a rarity.
During the funeral, mourners lifted photos of the village’s Shiite
victims next to photos of Sunni members of the security forces killed in
effort to arrest suspects in the aftermath of the attack. Shiite flags
in black and red flew beside the green national Saudi flags that
shrouded the eight bodies as they were laid outside a mosque.
From there, the crowd marched with the bodies between drab low-slung
buildings toward the small cemetery where adjacent holes had been dug in
the sandy ground.
The mainly Shiite crowd was joined by Sunnis from other regions. As they
marched, religious chants commemorating saints mixed with slogans of
national unity: “Brothers, Sunnis and Shiites,” they said.
It was a striking tableau of unity amid a wave of violent sectarian
conflict engulfing other parts of the Middle East—from Lebanon, to
Syria, Iraq and Bahrain—as adherents of the Islam’s two major sects
tussle for power and influence.
Anmar Fathaldin, a Sunni who came with a delegation from Mecca, more
than 650 miles away, said he was afraid they wouldn’t be welcomed. But
he said he was happy when local residents made way for them to get
closer to the main stage because they were guests.
“I like that they wave Saudi flags and lift photos of fallen officers,”
he said. “This is not fake. This is how they genuinely feel. It’s
reassuring to the heart.”
The attack has stoked concerns that a nightmare many have long feared
could suddenly be closer at hand with regional conflicts spilling over
to Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally that is home to Islam’s holiest sites
and is the world’s leading oil exporter.
The kingdom has a significant Shiite minority, estimated at 10%-15% of
the population, concentrated in its oil-rich eastern region, with
smaller pockets of Shiites in the western and southern parts of the
country.
The government says it doesn’t discriminate. But Shiites have long
complained of religious and economic marginalization in the
predominantly Sunni monarchy, where they are viewed by some as infidels
and allies of Saudi rival Shiite Iran.
Saudi Shiites tend to see themselves as loyal citizens of the kingdom
despite the sporadic outbreak of protests and violence in the east in
the late 1970s and most recently after the Arab uprisings that began in
late 2010 despite an official ban on street protests in the country.
In return, they say, they expect the government to offer them the same
rights and protections their Sunni counterparts receive.
When referring to the location of the attack, official statements
avoided any mention of the word “husseiniya” out of a traditional
reluctance to recognize Shiite places of worship. Until recently, the
monarchy didn't acknowledge the country’s Shiite minority. Only in
recent years, Shiite representatives were invited to a national dialogue
and given more recognition.
Saudi security services have arrested 33 suspects in 10 cities in
connection with the attack, according to local media. Two members of the
security forces were killed during the arrests.
On Wednesday, Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif visited the
families of the fallen officers to offer his condolences. A few hours
later he visited the husseiniya in Dalwa—a rare visit by a senior member
of the royal family. His brother Prince Saud, Governor of the Eastern
Province, visited the next day.
The swift reaction by authorities impressed some Shiites more accustomed
to official antipathy toward them and their religious practices.
The mourners walked under black banners identifying where they came from
while others carried signs saluting the “martyrs” and denouncing
terrorism.
Leading the crowd in prayer for the dead, prominent cleric Sayyed Ali Al
Nasser Al Salman emphasized the loyalty of Saudi Shiites to their
country, while reminding the government that they expect security in
return.
“Our forefathers opened their arms when Abdulaziz came to this land and
pledged allegiance to him on the condition that he would grant them
security and safety for their religion, lives, families and wealth,” he
said, referring to the kingdom’s founder. “When they received him, they
didn’t raise a sword in his face,” he added.
As mourners left the cemetery after burying the dead, their heads
solemnly remained down as if they were still looking at the graves of
the eight men, uncertain if this moment of solidarity would be
short-lived.
“These are just empty slogans. The state won’t take any new step,” said
Shiite resident Ahmed Al Hasan. He added that Shiites should take
advantage of such moments to demand more rights. But he said he doubts
that they would because they are too passive.
For now, Shiites hope the government would acknowledge and address their
demands and ban incitement against them in mosques and media, something
they see as a precursor of the attack
Also:
Thousands attend burial of Shiites gunned down in Saudi
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Nov-07/276843-thousands-attend-burial-of-shiites-gunned-down-in-saudi.ashx#axzz3IBPmKhRAhttp://bit.ly/1GxeNrj
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