Protests in Saudi Arabia from 2011

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saudi Arabia Map

As part of the wave of protests in the Arab world , there were also protests in Saudi Arabia .

causes

Absolutist rule

Abdullah ibn Abd al-Aziz, head of state in Saudi Arabia, 2007

There are repeated calls for political reforms. The current concrete demands are therefore as follows: Conversion of Saudi Arabia into a constitutional monarchy , containment of corruption, reduction of unemployment and a fairer distribution of wealth.

Situation of the Shiites in Saudi Arabia

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Wahhabism , a strictly puritanic movement within Sunni Islam that the Shiite faiths view as heretical, is widespread. At least since the destruction of the Shiite sacred places in Karbala in 1802, which was accompanied by a massacre of the Shiite population, the relationship between Shiites and Wahhabis has been heavily strained. Moreover, since the events of the last decade, the hegemonic weight between the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf in favor of the Islamic Republic of Iran are beginning to move, Saudi Arabia has foreign policy in several Arab countries, such as in Iraq and Lebanon , Sunni Islamist funded groups that this contribute to stopping or at least hindering this process.

Shiites in Saudi Arabia

According to official figures, 10 to 15 percent of Saudis are Shiites. It remains unclear whether the actual proportion of the population is possibly higher. Most of the Saudi Shiites live in the Saudi province of Ash-Sharqiyya , which can be translated as "Eastern Province". According to official information, they should make up 30 to 50 percent of the population there. It cannot be ruled out that the actual proportion of Shiites in the local population is higher. The Shiites living in ash-Sharqiyya belong to the Twelve Shiites . There are also Ismailis and Zaidis in Saudi Arabia, who mainly live in the Saudi-Yemeni border area, but even form a minority within the Saudi Shiites. Most of the Saudi Twelve Shiites live in the oases of al-Ahsa and Qatif .

Contrast between Sunnis and Shiites

Since the conquest of Ash-Sharqiyya by the Wahhabis in 1913, the Saudi Shiites have been under massive pressure. Wahhabi scholars, for example, demanded a forced conversion of the Shiites to Wahhabi Islam; whoever does not want to bow to this pressure should be killed. Similar demands in Saudi Arabia have not subsided to this day. Wahhabis see the Shiites as apostates who, in their worship of their imams , would approach the shirk , the polytheism, which is why they are polytheists for radical Wahhabis . They also reject the Shiite Ashura festival as un-Islamic. Since 1913, Shiite Saudis have not been allowed to build new mosques, hold their religious celebrations or study the doctrine of the Twelve Shiites in the Iraqi city of Najaf . They also have to pay special taxes from which Wahhabi Muslims are exempt. Since they cannot find employment in the state bureaucracy, the army or the security forces, not a few of them belong to the Saudi lower class.

Only with the start of the oil production by ARAMCO should the economic situation of some Twelve Shiites improve, to which a large part of the local workforce belongs. The economy in Saudi Arabia has been in regular crisis since around 1985. Shiite Saudis do not receive any state support and are therefore particularly hard hit by these crises. Since radical Wahhabis and Sunni Islamists still view the Shiites as polytheists and infidels, reforms towards equal rights for the two denominations within Saudi Arabia are almost impossible. The Ismailis and Zaidis are also exposed to such repression.

occasion

Three specific reasons can be identified for Saudi Arabia:

  • In January, torrential rains caused flooding in the Saudi province of Hejaz . Since Saudi Arabia has very little experience with floods, this led to infrastructural challenges that could not be satisfactorily resolved.

Involved

Members of the various population groups took part in the protests in Saudi Arabia: In the eastern province mainly Shiites , in Riyadh it is mainly women who want their family members to be liberated, but also Sunni-Islamist groups and in Jeddah there were parts of the population, who are affected by the floods there.

Chronological course of events

January 2011

After Friday prayers, a demonstration took place on January 28, 2011 in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Red Sea . The rally was forcibly suppressed and around 30 to 50 people were detained. The next day, a Saudi group called for political reforms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Facebook . The concrete demands are as follows: converting Saudi Arabia into a constitutional monarchy, curbing corruption, reducing unemployment and a more equitable distribution of wealth. 264 people join the Internet.

February 2011

On February 5, at another demonstration in the Saudi Arabian capital ar-Riyadh, around 40 women in front of the Interior Ministry demanded the release of prisoners who had been arrested for no reason. The rally remained peaceful; this is noteworthy as demonstrations in Saudi Arabia are generally considered prohibited. It is unclear whether there is a connection between this demonstration and that in the port city of Jeddah .

On February 17, members of the Shiite minority demonstrated in the province of ash-Sharqiyya near the border with Bahrain . The main aim of the demonstrators was to improve their situation, as they are socially disadvantaged as Shiites in Sunni Saudi Arabia. This also leads to speculation as to whether Saudi Arabia will intervene militarily in the unrest in neighboring Bahrain to prevent the fall of the Sunni ruling house there.

After returning to Saudi Arabia on February 23 from a US hospital stay, the Saudi Arabian King Abdullah ibn Abd al-Aziz apparently promised his population 27 billion to improve their situation. He also held talks with the Bahraini ruler, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Chalifa , to discuss the situation there. The opposition has announced a “day of anger” for March 11, 2011.

March 2011

On March 3, the country's Shiite minority held demonstrations in the coastal cities of Awwamya and Qatif in the Saudi province of Ash-Sharqiyya . The next day, 50 to 100 men also take part in a demonstration in the Saudi capital ar-Riyadh after the Friday prayers. The demonstration was carried out and initiated by the Saudi opposition group Islamic Reform Movement (MIRA) , which is Islamist and was founded in the 1990s by Saad al-Faqih .

On March 5, the Saudi government banned demonstrations on the grounds that the demonstrations would contravene Islamic law. However, a group of 40 women demonstrated in the city of Dammam , also in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, for the release of their family members. They were involved in the attack in al-Chobar, where 19 Americans died in 1996; However, there were no concrete processes.

On March 10, police shot protesters in Qatif city on the Persian Gulf . Eyewitnesses reported rifle fire and stun grenades with which several hundred demonstrators were shot. According to an Iranian report, one demonstrator was said to have been killed and four injured. The peaceful demonstrators were Shiites who had called for the release of nine prisoners who had been detained without charge and were alleged to have been involved in a 1996 terrorist attack on a US military facility in al-Chubar , which took place on November 19th Claimed human life. The clashes between the Saudi police and the Shiite demonstrators continued through the night. Live ammunition was also used, which led to several seriously injured people. In addition, a hospital was surrounded by the Saudi police, which meant that the injured could not be treated. Several hundred Shiites are said to have participated in further demonstrations in Qatif and al-Ahsa.

According to Saudi reports, Shiite Saudis were also arrested along the Saudi-Jordanian border who tried to smuggle weapons into Saudi Arabia in order to support their fellow believers. In addition, troops of the Saudi National Guard were sent to the Eastern Province to prevent further protests by the Shiites. In Jeddah and ar-Riyadh , but also in other parts of the country, the massive police presence is preventing the protest marches announced by a Facebook group.

On March 18, Saudi Shiites demonstrated solidarity with Shiites from Bahrain . It is said that 2,500 people in Avamija and 1,000 people in Safwa and Rabija took to the streets. On March 20, a demonstration for the release of detainees took place in the capital Riyadh in front of the Interior Ministry. The demonstrators were accompanied by 50 police vehicles.

June 2011

On June 17, women in Saudi Arabia proclaimed Driving Day and used it to drive themselves, even though women are officially prohibited from doing so. The initiator Manal al-Sharif was arrested for several days after the appeal on May 22nd.

September 2011

On September 25, King Abdullah announced that women would have the right to vote and stand for election in the 2015 local elections. However, this right does not yet apply to the upcoming elections in 2011. The turnout in the local elections on September 29th is low. The following day, a woman was sentenced to 10 lashes by a court for violating a car ban on June 17, a sentence that King Abdullah overturned two days later.

October 2011

On October 3, there were renewed demonstrations in the city of Qatif , which, according to the government, are “controlled by foreign powers” ​​and are to be suppressed “with an iron fist”. In al-Awamia , at least 14 people were killed in clashes between police and members of the Shiite minority who showed solidarity with the protesters in Bahrain .

2012

On July 8, 2012, the cleric and civil rights activist Nimr an-Nimr in the eastern province of al-Sharqiyyah was arrested in al-Awamia and wounded by a gunshot. His arrest led to protests in various parts of Saudi Arabia. An-Nimr was sentenced to death in 2014 and died on January 2, 2016 with 46 others sentenced to death in a mass execution .

Reactions

The US criticized the reaffirmation of the ban on demonstrations .

Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, however, stressed that Saudi Arabia would not tolerate interference from outside.

The Saudi government accuses Iran of fueling protests in Saudi Arabia; but no concrete evidence can be provided without the fact that the majority of the demonstrators are Shiites. She also threatens to deport people who take pictures of the demonstrations - of whatever kind. In addition, they are not allowed to enter Saudi Arabia for four years.

Web links

Commons : Protests in Saudi Arabia 2011/2012  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Protests also in Saudi Arabia baz-online, accessed: March 7, 2011
  2. ↑ "Wahha-bites and Shiites" wikipedia online, accessed : March 7, 2011
  3. ↑ Scholl-Latour, Peter: “Between the Fronts. Experienced World History “Berlin 2007, pp .: 169–177
  4. ↑ Steinberg, Guido: “Saudi Arabia. Politics, History, Religion "Munich 2004, p .: 144
  5. ↑ Steinberg, Guido: “Saudi Arabia. Politics, History, Religion “Munich 2004, p .: 145
  6. ↑ Steinberg, Guido: “Saudi Arabia. Politics, History, Religion “Munich 2004, pp .: 144–148
  7. ↑ a b "Hundreds detained in Saudi Arabia over protests" from January 29, 2011 Tehran Times online, accessed: March 7, 2011
  8. ↑ Dozens of arrests at demonstration derStandard.at, accessed: March 7, 2011
  9. ↑ "Dozens of arrests during demonstration. Protests to improve infrastructure after severe floods in Jeddah ”from January 28, 2011 ( Memento from January 31, 2011 in the Internet Archive ). Accessed: March 7, 2011
  10. ↑ Berliner Zeitung of February 21, 2011, p .: 8
  11. ^ "Protests of the Shiite minority. The Shiites complain that they are denied access to higher positions in the civil service ”from February 19, 2011 ( memento of February 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) derStandard.at, accessed: March 7, 2011
  12. ↑ "Saudi Arabia. Charities instead of reforms ”from February 2011 faz online, accessed: March 7, 2011
  13. ↑ Further protests expected in Arab countries. Shiites demonstrate in Saudi Arabia. NZZ online, accessed on March 4, 2011 .
  14. ^ Concern about Libya and Saudi Arabia. Oil and precious metals are more expensive. ntv online, accessed March 4, 2011 .
  15. ^ "Protests in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is getting nervous ” taz online, accessed March 7, 2011
  16. ^ After smaller protest rallies - Saudi Arabia imposes a ban on demonstrations. tagesschau.de, March 5, 2011, archived from the original on March 6, 2011 ; Retrieved March 5, 2011 .
  17. ↑ “Women demand releases. Saudis ignore demo ban “ ntv online, accessed: March 6, 2011
  18. ↑ “Saudis demonstrate despite a ban” Kölnische Rundschau online, accessed: March 6, 2011
  19. ^ "The Arab world demonstrates again" Zeit online, accessed: March 6, 2011
  20. ↑ "Protests in the Arab world don't stop" T-online, accessed: March 6, 2011
  21. ↑ Saudi Arabian police open fire on protesters: AP
  22. ↑ Urgent: Saudi Wahhabi's Severely Attacked Hundreds of Shia Protesters in Qatif. One Martyred, 4 Wounded
  23. ↑ "Massive security presence in Saudi Arabia" ORF online, accessed: March 11, 2011
  24. ^ "Shiite Protests in Saudi Arabia. Shots at demonstrators ” FAZ online, accessed: March 11, 2011
  25. ↑ “Arrests and Protests in Saudi Arabia” zeit.de on March 11, 2011
  26. ↑ a b “Protest calls in Saudi Arabia. 'Day of Wrath' runs in the sand “ taz online, accessed: March 11, 2011
  27. ↑ "Day of Wrath: Saudi Arabia nips protest in the bud" the press online, accessed: March 11, 2011
  28. ↑ a b "Despite Presents and Threats: Protests in Saudi Arabia" ntv online, accessed: March 20, 2011
  29. ↑ Ten injured in a demonstration by Shiites in Saudi Arabia ( memento from February 11, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) stern online, accessed: March 20, 2011
  30. ↑ "Dozens of demonstrations in Riyadh" derStandard.at, accessed: March 20, 2011
  31. ^ Al Jazeera: Saudi woman detained for driving
  32. ^ Al Jazeera: Saudi women given voting rights
  33. ↑ Al Jazeera: Low turnout in Saudi Arabia's local polls
  34. ↑ Saudi woman 'spared lashing' in driving case
  35. ↑ Al Jazeera: Saudi Arabia blames riots on 'outside forces'
  36. ↑ Tomas Avenarius : Riyadh announces iron fist policy. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . October 5, 2011, accessed October 6, 2011 .
  37. ↑ Susanne Koelbl: Controversial judgment in Saudi Arabia: The equalizer should die , Der Spiegel November 21, 2014.
  38. ↑ Saudi Arabia executes 47 people convicted of terrorism. In: welt.de. January 2, 2016, accessed January 2, 2016 .
  39. ↑ Saudi Arabia executes 47 prisoners. In: sueddeutsche.de. January 2, 2016, accessed January 2, 2016 .
  40. ↑ "Saudi Arabia warns of foreign interference with a cleaver" ria novosti online, accessed: March 9, 2011