Awwamiya, Saudi Arabia - Despite the vast oil fields underfoot, this rural village of struggling farmers and narrow streets is a long way from the gleaming riches and wide boulevards of Riyadh.
It is also far from the strict Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam favored by the Saudi government, since most Awwamiya residents are Shiite Muslims.
These religious and economic realities help explain the graffiti on view here: "Death to Wahhabi," "Down with the government," and "We will not forget our prisoners."
Somewhere here, too, Sheikh Nimer Al-Nimer, a firebrand Shiite cleric in his late 40s, is hiding from police. He is wanted for questioning, officials say, about an angry sermon threatening secession and his possible behind-the-scenes role in Sunni-Shiite clashes in the holy city of Medina earlier this year.
"We've been patient a long time hoping to get our rights," says one Awwamiya resident. "But it's useless."
May the Saudi people know freedom.
ReplyDelete""We've been patient a long time hoping to get our rights," says one Awwamiya resident. "But it's useless."
ReplyDeleteI support them to do what they need to do for there rights. I will not criticise them for the road they choose. I dont expect them to wait until the dictator wahhabis in the kingdom decide they get to be treated like every one else. But I dont support an American bomb campaign to free them.
Saif, we can send IM there as a bomb, a stink bomb...lol
ReplyDeleteIt is just a good thing that I am not there in today's times, because I would have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.
ReplyDeleteIt is bad enough as a women not to be able to drive or to move around independently. But worse than that is when you are not able to stand up for your rights...
I lived in Saudi for three years, and it was not in a Shia area. We basically had to keep our Shianess quiet, even though it is fairly obvious we are of the Shia faith when you know the names of my children and husband, and that my husband and his family are from South Lebanon....
I was actually living in Lebanon in 2000 with four of my children when Israel unilaterally withdrew( meaning they were basically forced out). We were living in the mostly Shia Dahiya at the time, which was one of Israel's prime targets in 2006. In fact the apartment building where I lived was a target that was destroyed for the most part during the war. I actually have a child who was born in Lebanon a few days after the south was freed by the name of Hussein which I think is a fitting name for a historic period in time...
And I believe that one day, the Palestinian people will also free themselves of the Zionist presence, just as the South Lebanese people did....
Thank you for sharing Marion! Nice comment. I grew up in South Lebanon, Marje'ayoun. Not a Shi'a town but I remember Khiam a little bit! I used to love going there when the Ashourah was celebrated. Impressive in every sense!! The story teller particularly.
ReplyDeleteI passed through Marje'ayoun before tgia...
ReplyDeleteIsn't that where the infamous Brigette Gabriel comes from? Do you happen to know her? What a lovely lady she appears to be, LOL!!!! Well, at least the Neocons and Zionists love her....I will bet she even knows Dick Cheney personally ....
I have also been to Khiam to visit the infamous prison and torture chamber a couple of times, which Israel and its SLA proxies ran there...
I remember when Israel left the south, I was sitting in Beruit watching it all unfold on Lebanese TV wishing I could be in the south to celebrate with my husband's family, but because I was ready to deliver my son any day I couldn't take the chance of going. I watched the prisoners of Khiam being freed live on TV...And I cried so much in relief, and I still do cry when I see the same pictures...
I think Israel destroyed the Khiam prison though in 2006, didn't they? I guess they didn't like the fact that tourists and dignitaries would visit there...
By the way, my husband is from Eita Jabel...