Hometown of Executed Saudi Cleric in Turmoil

TEHRAN (FNA)- People in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province poured into the streets of Qatif city on Saturday in reaction to the execution of prominent Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr as hundreds of Saudi security forces were sent to the region to suppress any possible uprising.

Calls for people's protest rally in Qatif city, the hometown of Sheikh Nimr, surged in social media pages after Riyadh announced execution of globally renowned Shiite leader.

Al-Qatif Mobasher Twitter page that covers developments in Qatif and is widely shared in Eastern Saudi Arabia issued a public call for popular uprising in the Eastern city after the execution of the Shiite cleric.

The Riyadh government has dispatched large numbers of armored vehicles to Qatif to suppress the angry people protesting the execution of Sheikh Nimr.

The Saudi regime is afraid of widespread popular uprising, specially in the Shiite regions in Eastern Saudi Arabia after it executed Sheikh Nimr, and it has dispatched hundreds of armored vehicles to the province, the Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported.

Saudi Arabia announced Saturday that it has executed the prominent Shiite Muslim cleric.

Saudi Arabia executed 47 people on Saturday for terrorism, including Sheikh Nimr, the country's Interior Ministry said in a statement. Most of those executed were said to be involved in a series of attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda between 2003 and 2006. 45 of those executed were of Saudi nationality, one Chadian, one Egyptian.

The Interior Ministry statement announcing the executions began with verses from the Quran, justifying the use of the death penalty, while state television showed footage of the aftermath of Al-Qaeda attacks over the last decade. Shortly afterward, Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh appeared on Saudi Arabian television, hailing the executions as just.

Al-Qaeda is the number one enemy of Shiite Muslims, and the Saudi television did not explain how it could link the footage to the execution of a Shiite leader who has been the target of ISIL and Al-Qaeda.

Iranian high-ranking officials had regularly deplored Riyadh for handing down death sentence to prominent Shiite cleric, warning that execution of the Sheikh Nimr would incur a heavy price in Saudi Arabia, and would set the stage for the fall of the Saudi regime.

Several rights activists had also warned Riyadh that execution of Sheikh Nimr would set fire to Saudi Arabia.

Heretofore, Al Saud had frequently said that it plans to execute Sheikh soon, but the kingdom delayed it every time. According to an informed source, the new King and his hawkish cabinet members mean to send a message to the Shiite community, dissidents and Iran through the move to show they are ready to pay any price in confrontation with Tehran. Though Iran has repeatedly denied any link with the Shiite dissidents in Saudi Arabia.

During the recent months, people across the world staged protest in support of Sheikh Nimr, calling for immediate release of the leader, warning the Wahhabi authorities against executing prominent Shiite cleric.

Nimr was attacked and arrested in the Qatif region of Eastern Province in July 2012, and has been charged with undermining the kingdom’s security, making anti-government speeches, and defending political prisoners. Nimr has denied the accusations.

In October 2014, a Saudi court sentenced Sheikh Nimr to death, provoking huge condemnations and criticism in the Middle East and the world.

On October 25, Nimr’s family confirmed that the Saudi Supreme Court and the Specialized Appeals Court had endorsed a death sentence issued last year against him for inciting sectarian strife and disobeying King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The cleric has denied the charges.

The Shiite cleric’s lawyer, Sadeq al-Jubran, had also said that Nimr could be executed as soon as the Saudi monarch approves his sentence.

Human rights organizations have condemned Saudi Arabia for failing to address the rights situation in the kingdom. They say Saudi Arabia has persistently implemented repressive policies that stifle freedom of expression, association and assembly.