The Washington Post carries this enigmatic story in its ‘Around the World’ news summaries. There’s so little information in the piece that it’s hard to know just what happened. Anyone in the Kingdom with more information is kindly invited to share.
What this means in terms of the shake-up in the official religious establishment is also impossible to know, given the lack of details. More, hopefully, as better information becomes available…
Saudi police have clashed with Shiite pilgrims over several days near a cemetery in Medina, Islam’s second-holiest city after Mecca, prompting a Shiite cleric to appeal to the king to put a stop to the “insults” of the religious police.
Relations are tense between Saudi Arabia’s majority Sunnis and the Shiites, who make up a small portion of the country’s 22 million citizens. Shiites, who are considered infidels under the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam widely followed in the kingdom, routinely complain of discrimination.
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February:25:2009 - 16:21
While moderate Shia have just found room to breathe, the extremist Shia are jumping hoops making trouble left and right.. The government eased up a lot on Shia out of late.. they even got a into senior positions and are enlisting in the Army. But some jackasses take a few steps forwards and just fuck it up ten stairwells down for their lords in Iran. As far as I know they already had a history with that graveyard two decades ago.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU2zYV22KTA&eurl=http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=22156
February:26:2009 - 14:27
My brother in law was in Medina a couple of days ago. He told me he saw anti-Sunni graffiti there. So I’m guessing there’s some truth behind that story.
February:27:2009 - 12:19
Today I read something about this story in Saudi Jeans blog. Then I had to search in Internet until I found an article by Reuters in Spanish explaining what happened. News are not clear but it seems that the religious police with the help of normal police over-reacted to the presence of shias in Medinah and started beating and insulting a crowd of shias including women and children. But I am still trying to gather more information on this interesting issue.
February:28:2009 - 12:14
Who are the infidels? The Shia people are infidels or those wahabbi Nasebis (the enemies of the prophet and his family) who destroyed his graveyard and those of his family members in Baghih cemetery. Just look at pictures of Baghih at the time of Utomans in 1900 before Wahabbis took over Hijaz that was run by Shia people. Wahabbis like the Jews of Medinah are enemies of God, Muhammad (PBUH) and his decendents. They bombed and destroyed his tomb several times in the past. They have no respect for him and his family and his traditions. They accuse Shia people of worshiping the cemetery. Shia people repect and love the prophet and his family. It is you Wahabbi terrorists and criminals who have no respect for humans and just know how to suppress and bomb them. You Wahabbis are the decendents of Shemr, Moaavuyeh, Yazid, Abu Jahl, Abu Sufian and many other cirminals and murderes of the prophet family. You history is full of bloodshed,killing, destruction and burying your girls alive. This is your real face and nature.
February:28:2009 - 12:24
House of Saudis are a bunch of terrorist murderers who have financed, trained and dsipatched terrorists across the world. Centers of Wahabbi Terrorism include Pakistan, Afghanestan, Chechnia, Iraq and many other Muslim countries where in the name of Islam and Jihad they have been commiting genocide. They have no respect for humanity. They are the ones who created Al-Kaidah in Pakistan. They are Wahabbis and enemies of Allah and his messanger Muhammad (PBUH). Now is time to get rid of them through a real election and remove the filthy name of Saudi from the country of the prophet of Islam. They are hiding behind the name of Islam and guardianship of the holy sherines. They have contributed to Islam nothing except more bloodshed and car bombings and killings. They come from the Jewish tribes of Medinah after they were expelled from the city by the prophet Muhammad. They are the real Zionist infidels who like Palestinians killed in millions.
February:28:2009 - 17:55
And you, sir, are an idiot, even when you use different Internet identities to rant.
I will not permit this blog to be used to fight sectarian battles within Islam. If you feel you need to dump verbal garbage, find another place to do it.
Thank you.
February:28:2009 - 20:56
Something that may be of interest to many of you is that a significant number of people in Saudi will utter (under their breath of course) that the Al Saud are “Jewish” in decent.
What a discovery that would be? LOL
February:28:2009 - 21:11
It would be an interesting discovery, but it really shouldn’t matter.
As for the original post- it is hard to tell if this is something they just decided to cover in an article for any reason or if something out of the ordinary really happened. As I understand it- it is pretty common for Shia pilgrams to be praying at certain sites, and others trying to stop them. For that matter anyone who pauses too long at any point of religious interest could be rushed along to prevent them from “worshiping” something.
February:28:2009 - 21:36
I agree Grace, it shouldn’t matter. However it would matter in a place where images are burned on people’s cortexes.
March:01:2009 - 12:41
Islam And The West Accelerated Links…
Crossroads Arabia on clashes between Shias and the Saudi police in Madinah….
March:03:2009 - 15:06
Anyone who claims to have a 100% accurate version of the events is an obvious liar.
Oh and PressTV claims that two people died. But then again, it’s PressTV so I take their info with a grain of salt.