Saudi arabia executed prominent shiite cleric. Medical search. Frequent questions

Ayatollah Nimr al-Nimr was executed on January 2, 2016, by the Saudi regime for his calls for democratic change. (wikipedia.org)
A Kashmiri Shiite Muslim man shouts slogans against the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, during a protest in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. (ktnv.com)
Iranian politicians warned that the Saudi monarchy would pay a heavy price for the death of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. (ktnv.com)
His brother, prominent Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, was executed in January after a court found him guilty of sedition and inciting violence for his role in anti-government protests. (winknews.com)
Saudi Arabia has executed the prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, the interior ministry said. (africanexaminer.com)
Cleric Nimr al-Nimr was executed along with 46 other prisoners who Riyadh said were "terrorists. (timesofisrael.com)
On January 2, Saudi Arabia executed 47 men, including prominent cleric and political activist Nimr al-Nimr. (pomeps.org)
One of the Saudi men executed was a Shia Cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent vocalist and activist for the marginalization of Shiites and anti-government protests. (muslimgirl.com)
Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr sent crude prices sharply higher in early trading in Asia, Europe, and the United States on Monday, thus, showing geopolitics as the biggest price drivers in oil market. (today.az)
An Iranian woman holds a portrait of prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration against his execution by Saudi authorities, on January 3, 2016. (cnbc.com)
Why did Saudi Arabia execute Nimr al-Nimr? (cnbc.com)
Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr was among 47 people put to death this weekend for terrorist-related offences in one of Saudi Arabia's largest mass executions in years. (cnbc.com)
After Saudi Arabia executed Shiite cleric Nimr al Nimr in January 2016, protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran. (iranprimer.com)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Iran's foreign minister met Friday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of his visit to the kingdom, a sign of how the two countries are trying to ease tensions after years of turmoil. (kron4.com)
Those assaults include one targeting the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdom's crude production. (kron4.com)
Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks after that, including one targeting the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdom's crude production. (fox5sandiego.com)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia's execution Saturday of 47 prisoners, including an influential Shiite cleric, threatened to further damage Sunni-Shiite relations in a regional struggle playing out across the Middle East between the kingdom and its regional foe Iran. (ktnv.com)
The convictions of those executed Saturday were issued by Saudi Arabia's Specialized Criminal Court, established in 2008 to try terrorism cases. (ktnv.com)
More security forces were also deployed that year to contain protests in Saudi Arabia's oil-rich east, where al-Nimr rallied youth who felt disenfranchised and persecuted. (ktnv.com)
Saudi Arabia's top cleric Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh defended the executions as in line with Islamic Shariah law. (ktnv.com)
Four people were killed and five others injured, according to Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry. (winknews.com)
Saudi Arabia's state-run news channel al-Ekhbariya aired live video of thousands of worshippers praying inside the mosque hours after the explosion. (winknews.com)
The key point is that Saudi oil shouldn't be allowed to buy the world's silence over Saudi arabia's terrible human rights record. (thelondoneconomic.com)
As tensions remain high between Tehran and Riyadh, a top Iranian general has warned that Saudi Arabia's regional policies could lead to its imminent collapse. (timesofisrael.com)
Mass condemnations have spread throughout the Middle East in response to Saudi Arabia's latest and largest execution in decades, which killed 45 Saudis, a Chadian and an Egyptian. (muslimgirl.com)
In this case, the man in question was an impoverished foreign worker, and Saudi Arabia's atrocious record of migrant abuse is well-documented . (muslimgirl.com)
The irony and hypocrisy in this becomes clear for anyone who is aware of Saudi Arabia's archaic punishments, arbitrary sentencing, and separate legal system for Saudi males and vulnerable minorities. (muslimgirl.com)
As the current chair of the UN Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia's position on executions has barely shifted. (muslimgirl.com)
Given the close historical cultural and religious affinities between the peoples of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it was reaffirmed that any violation of Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity will evoke a strong response from Pakistan," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement issued Thursday. (riazhaq.com)
Today, women's sports is a tool in Saudi Arabia's effort to cement its position as a global player and leader of the Muslim world, defender of Muslim rights, and arbitrator of what constitutes 'moderate' Islam. (timesofisrael.com)
He still appears to have work to do: Later in the This Week interview, when host Martha Raddatz asked Carson about Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric , Carson seemed unfamiliar with the issues involved and tried to steer the conversation toward President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. (newser.com)

The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there. (wtop.com)
In January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed the prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, who had called for pro-democracy demonstrations, along with forty-seven people accused of terrorism. (wikipedia.org)
Thursday's talks in Beijing marked the first formal meeting of senior diplomats from the two nations since 2016, when the kingdom broke ties with Iran after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there. (yomiuri.co.jp)
The kingdom's last mass execution came in January 2016 with 47 people including a prominent opposition Shiite cleric who had rallied demonstrations. (thelondoneconomic.com)
The kingdom's last mass execution came in January 2016, when the kingdom executed 47 people, including a prominent opposition Shiite cleric who had rallied demonstrations in the kingdom. (nhpr.org)
Kuwait City - Kuwait has appointed an ambassador to Iran, both countries said Sunday, more than six years after recalling its top envoy to Tehran in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after it severed ties with the Islamic Republic in 2016. (abudhabinews.net)
Riyadh broke off ties with Tehran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Iran after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite cleric. (abudhabinews.net)
Starting in June 2016, broadband connections were suspended from 7pm to 1am in a daily "internet curfew" in the besieged town of Diraz, home to the persecuted Shiite cleric Isa Qassim (see Restrictions on Connectivity). (freedomhouse.org)
In June 2016, the government renewed its widespread crackdown on Shiite leaders and the political opposition, intensifying censorship. (freedomhouse.org)
The match would have been one of the first since 2016 that Saudi and Iranian clubs would have played games against one another on home soil. (timesofisrael.com)
Saudi Arabia severed ties in 2016 after Iranians ransacked Saudi diplomatic missions in protest against the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric. (timesofisrael.com)
U.S. allies including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain did not uphold principles of religious freedom in 2016, while Islamic State has carried out "genocide" against religious minorities, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday. (bahrainmirror.com)

It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched. (wtop.com)
Good neighborly relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are essential for the stability of the Gulf region," U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at U.N. headquarters. (wtop.com)
Al-Aiban thanked Iraq and Oman for mediating between Iran and the kingdom, according to his remarks carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. (wtop.com)
Tensions long have been high between Iran and Saudi Arabia. (wtop.com)
But since reaching a Chinese-mediated détente in March, Iran and Saudi Arabia have moved toward reopening diplomatic missions in each other's countries. (kron4.com)
DUBAI, April 6, (AP): Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation Thursday, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation. (arabtimesonline.com)
The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, said that in addition to reopening embassies in the two capitals, diplomatic missions would start operating in two other major cities - Mashhad in Iran and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. (arabtimesonline.com)
The visit by Hossein Amirabdollahian comes as both Saudi Arabia and Iran try to ease tensions between their nations, which long have viewed each other as archrivals for influence across the wider Middle East. (fox5sandiego.com)
But after the coronavirus pandemic and the U.S.' chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, Gulf Arab nations including Saudi Arabia have begun reassessing how to manage relations with Iran. (fox5sandiego.com)
The execution now becomes another focal point for sectarian and political wrangling between Saudi Arabia and Iran. (ktnv.com)
The United States has welcomed diplomatic progress between Saudi Arabia, with which it has a close but complicated alliance, and Iran, which it considers a regional menace. (yomiuri.co.jp)
A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015 in neighboring Yemen in an effort to restore the internationally recognized government to power. (nhpr.org)
Saudi Arabia meanwhile remains engaged in diplomatic talks with its Shiite regional rival Iran to try to ease yearslong tensions. (nhpr.org)
Shia-lead Iran said Saudi Arabia would pay a "high price" for the execution. (africanexaminer.com)
Iran is the main regional rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. (africanexaminer.com)
Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of tensions between the two countries, including a devastating attack on the heart of the kingdom's oil production attributed to Tehran. (com.ng)
Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute who long has studied the region, said Saudi Arabia reaching the deal with Iran came after the United Arab Emirates reached a similar understanding with Tehran. (com.ng)
This dialing down of tensions and de-escalation has been underway for three years and this was triggered by Saudi acknowledgement in their view that without unconditional U.S. backing they were unable to project power vis-a-vi Iran and the rest of the region," he said. (com.ng)
The move comes as Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia works to improve ties with Shiite Iran, with which it has been locked in a rivalry that has played out across conflicts in the region. (abudhabinews.net)
Saudi Arabia launched direct talks with Iran last year. (abudhabinews.net)
Riyadh's execution last Saturday of a prominent Shiite cleric unleashed a wave of anger across the Shiite world, most prominently in Iran. (timesofisrael.com)
In response, protesters in Iran stormed and set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in the second city of Mashhad. (timesofisrael.com)
Relations between the longtime adversaries hit a fresh low Thursday when Iran accused Saudi warplanes of deliberately targeting its embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, damaging the property and seriously wounding a security guard. (timesofisrael.com)
The Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed rebels in Yemen denied carrying out an attack and insisted the diplomatic mission was "safe," but Tehran said it would take the matter to the UN Security Council. (timesofisrael.com)
In Saudi Arabia, the new leadership is able to refocus attention away from its international and domestic failures by increasing pressure on Shiite dissidents and provoking its main regional rival, Iran. (pomeps.org)
What role should Pakistan play in Yemen and the ongoing Iran-Saudi conflict in the region? (riazhaq.com)
The statement showed the balance Pakistan is trying to maintain between placating Saudi Arabia, its long-term partner, and preserving ties with its neighbor Iran, which supports the rebels the Saudis aim to defeat in Yemen. (riazhaq.com)
Pakistan has long been allied with Saudi Arabia, though in recent years Islamabad has also improved its relations with Iran, which plans to pipe natural gas to its energy-starved neighbor. (riazhaq.com)
In a similar incident in June, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, in Tehran for the first time since Saudi Arabia and Iran reestablished diplomatic relations, demanded a change of venue for a news conference with his Iranian counterpart because the initially scheduled room featured a photo of Mr. Soleimani on the wall. (timesofisrael.com)
Saudi Arabia had designated as terrorists Mr. Soleimani and his Al Quds Brigade, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unit operating outside Iran. (timesofisrael.com)
Deteriorating relations between Middle Eastern rivals - Saudi Arabia and Iran - are likely to make oil prices further jump, which are down by two-thirds since mid-2014. (today.az)
Responding to the storming of its embassy in Tehran, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran on January 3. (today.az)
The Obama administration, which is keen on a closer relationship with Iran and enjoys a long-standing alliance with Saudi Arabia, has expressed hope that Tehran and Riyadh would retreat the hostile rhetoric that has fueled the worst crisis between them. (today.az)
Iran has also expressed regrets for an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. (today.az)
However, Iran's regret has not stabilized the worsening relations with Saudi Arabia as the petrol factor played a crucial role in worsening relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, OPEC's two biggest powers. (today.az)
Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has taken advantage of Iran's global isolation in recent years to increase its own role in the region and in global oil markets, while Iran, which has some of the biggest proven reserves, hopes to ramp up exports following an expected lifting of sanctions against it after reaching a deal over its nuclear weapons development program. (today.az)
Saudi Arabia and its Sunni neighbors worry that the deal, by freeing Iran to export more oil and earn more money, will allow a rejuvenated Iran to expand its regional influence at their expense. (today.az)
Annually, that costs Iran about $25 billion in foregone revenues and costs Saudi Arabia almost $200 billion. (today.az)
Some analysts claim that if the escalations between Iran and Saudi Arabia increases further, it could increase potential threat of failure of supply of Iran's strategically important raw materials to the world market via the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-third of the world's maritime oil supplies are delivered to the consumers. (today.az)
One of the largest state-ordered executions in Saudi Arabia has sparked a diplomatic and trade row with Iran and left many concerned over destabilization across the Middle East. (cnbc.com)
CNBC explains why Saudi Arabia decided to execute a prominent Shiite cleric, what it means for Iran, and whether we can expect any resolution in coming weeks. (cnbc.com)
The execution was denounced by a number of political and religious figures in Iran- a Shiite stronghold in the region - including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said Saudi Arabia would face 'divine vengeance' for al-Nimr's execution. (cnbc.com)
Saudi Arabia quickly cut off ties with Iran, giving diplomatic envoys 48 hours to leave the country. (cnbc.com)
However, Western powers including France have called for reduced tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, with Germany urging dialogue, adding that the execution could increase religious tensions across the region. (cnbc.com)
Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition that has been battling Iran-backed rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March. (kaos.gr)
Iran and Saudi Arabia have been regional rivals for more than three decades. (iranprimer.com)
Relations were strained throughout the 1980s, as Saudi Arabia quietly supported Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. (iranprimer.com)
Saudi Arabia sent troops to quell the uprising and blamed Iran for provoking the unrest. (iranprimer.com)
Tehran accused Riyadh of mismanagement, and Saudi officials accused Iran of playing politics in the aftermath of the tragedy. (iranprimer.com)
In September 2019, Riyadh blamed Iran for a drone and cruise missile attack on two major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. (iranprimer.com)
In 2021, Iran and Saudi Arabia began a sporadic dialogue that was mediated by Iraq. (iranprimer.com)
In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties seven years after severing relations. (iranprimer.com)
The following is a timeline of Iran-Saudi relations since the 1979 revolution. (iranprimer.com)
Six Gulf states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain - form the Gulf Cooperation Council, in part as a security response to the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. (iranprimer.com)
Iran attacks a Saudi oil tanker in Saudi waters, in retaliation for Iraq's attempts to interfere with Iran's oil shipping. (iranprimer.com)
Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran over the hajj clash. (iranprimer.com)
Iran boycotts the hajj after Saudi Arabia reduces the number of Iranian pilgrim visas in response the clashes in 1987. (iranprimer.com)
Saudi Arabia sends aid to Iran after an earthquake kills 40,000 people. (iranprimer.com)
Furthermore, since the 2003 US invasion and subsequent occupation and destruction of Iraq, Middle East politics has been marked by a new cold war1 over regional influence between two competing axes led by Saudi Arabia on one side and Iran on the other. (lu.se)

Although the media is quick to highlight the Sunni-Shiite divide, it generally points to this split as the root cause of conflicts. (pomeps.org)

Shiite leaders across the region swiftly condemned Riyadh and warned of sectarian backlash as Saudi Arabia insisted the executions were part of a justified war on terrorism. (ktnv.com)
The Saudi prince has been repeatedly criticised for human rights abuses and, over the weekend, the country's state-run Saudi Press Agency announced the executions of 81 people convicted of a variety of crimes, marking the largest mass execution conducted there in recent memory. (thelondoneconomic.com)
Polly Truscott, Amnesty International UK's Foreign Affairs Human Rights Adviser, said: "The shocking news about mass executions in Saudi Arabia makes it more important than ever that the Prime Minister challenges the Saudi authorities over their absolutely appalling human rights record and that he speaks publicly about human rights during this trip. (thelondoneconomic.com)
Executions of Shiites in the past have stirred regional unrest. (nhpr.org)
The executions were carried out simultaneously in 12 locations across Saudi Arabia. (africanexaminer.com)
It wasn't clear why the Saudi Kingdom chose Saturday for the executions, though they came as much of the world's attentions are focused on the war between Ukraine and Russia. (thedcpatriot.com)
The report provided no breakdown for those executed, not say where the executions took place. (cnewse.com)
Many have argued that sectarianism was the reason for the killings, however, according to Saudi Arabian officials, these executions were in regards to Al Qaeda attacks in 2003 and 2004 that killed Saudis and foreigners. (muslimgirl.com)
The country's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, called them a 'mercy to the prisoners' because the executions would save them from committing more evil acts. (muslimgirl.com)
A German government official told reporters at a press conference Monday that there were currently no plans to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia over the executions. (cnbc.com)

Both were convicted on charges related to anti-government protests held in eastern Saudi Arabia. (ktnv.com)
Armed men on Sunday attacked a prison in Bahrain where Shiites convicted over anti-government protests are held, killing one policeman and allowing 10 inmates to escape, the interior ministry said. (bahrainmirror.com)

Sporadic protests erupted Saturday night in the island kingdom of Bahrain - which has a majority Shiite population but is ruled by a Sunni monarchy, a Saudi ally - over the mass execution. (nhpr.org)
Those demonstrations called for greater representation of the majority Shiite population in the country's Sunni-led government, but were violently disbanded by military forces from neighboring Saudi Arabia. (freedomhouse.org)

Amirabdollahian arrived Thursday in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, for meetings with his counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (kron4.com)
This is a locator map for Saudi Arabia with its capital, Riyadh. (fox5sandiego.com)
It is obvious that Riyadh knew that its decision to execute al-Nimr would cause uproar in the region and would put additional strains on its already tense relations with Tehran. (today.az)
Most recently, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said it was impossible for Riyadh to have a dialogue with Tehran. (iranprimer.com)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - An explosion went off outside one of Islam's holiest sites Monday just as the call to sunset prayers was ending and hours after suicide bombers struck in two other Saudi cities. (winknews.com)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed 81 people convicted of crimes ranging from killings to belonging to militant groups, the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its modern history. (nhpr.org)

Saudi Arabia executed 81 people convicted of a variety of crimes, including killings and belonging to militant groups, in the largest mass execution conducted by the kingdom in recent memory. (thelondoneconomic.com)

The festering diplomatic crisis between the Middle East's leading Sunni and Shiite Muslim powers has raised sectarian tensions across the region and complicated efforts to resolve conflicts in Syria and Yemen - two countries in which the two rivals support opposing sides. (timesofisrael.com)
The Arab Spring in 2011 further aggravated tensions, especially in Bahrain, where Shiites protested against the Sunni royal family. (iranprimer.com)

It led to protests where Iranians threw petrol bombs, set fires and broke furniture after storming the Saudi embassy in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Sunday. (cnbc.com)
And in September 2015, hundreds of Iranians were killed in a stampede during the annual hajj ritual in Saudi Arabia. (iranprimer.com)
Iranians clash with Saudi police after chanting political slogans in Mecca and Medina. (iranprimer.com)
Saddam refused to believe that the US would allow him to hang, because he thought the US recognized that only Saddam could deal with the Shiites and the Iranians. (blogspot.com)

Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran early on Sunday and Shiite Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, predicted 'divine vengeance' for the execution of al-Nimr. (today.az)
In response, Iranian protesters attack the Saudi and Kuwaiti embassies in Tehran. (iranprimer.com)
Police in Bahrain used tear gas and buckshot Wednesday to disperse protesters who took to the streets following prayers for three Shiites executed over a deadly bombing, witnesses said. (bahrainmirror.com)

The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi envoy in Tehran to protest, and parliament speaker Ali Larijani said the execution would prompt "a maelstrom" in Saudi Arabia. (ktnv.com)
Al-Nimr's execution could also antagonize the Shiite-led government in Iraq, which has close relations with Tehran. (ktnv.com)
The repercussions quickly rippled across the region and beyond with Saudi allies Bahrain, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan following Riyadh's example and cutting diplomatic ties with Tehran. (timesofisrael.com)
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that Tehran would respond to a U.S. or Saudi retaliatory strike with "all-out war. (iranprimer.com)

Shiites, who live primarily in the kingdom's oil-rich east, have long complained of being treated as second-class citizens. (nhpr.org)
It is headed by Saudi sports minister Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, a member of the kingdom's ruling family and former racing driver. (timesofisrael.com)

Videos showed Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, meeting with Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Wang Yi, China's most senior diplomat. (wtop.com)
China, which last month hosted Iran's hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, is a top purchaser of Saudi oil. (wtop.com)
Iran's foreign minister traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking the first trip to the kingdom by Tehran's top diplomat in years after the two nations reached a détente with Chinese mediation. (kron4.com)
Challenges remain, however, particularly over Iran's advancing nuclear program, the Saudi-led war in Yemen and security across the region's waterways. (kron4.com)
Iran's theocracy, meanwhile, views itself as the protector of Islam's Shiite minority. (fox5sandiego.com)
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Chineses counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing Thursday, April 6, 2023. (yomiuri.co.jp)
He echoed comments made on Monday by Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, who said that "By adopting terroristic and inhuman policies, the [Saudi] regime will not achieve enhanced security. (timesofisrael.com)
Politics also loomed large when Saudi club Al-Ittihad FC refused this week to play an Asian Champions League match in Isfahan against Iran's Sepahan because of busts of controversial assassinated Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani at the entrance to the pitch. (timesofisrael.com)
Saudi Arabia opposed Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile advances. (iranprimer.com)

By defending a Muslim majority view in favour of a woman's right to wear a hijab, Saudi Arabia, a dominant force in the ISSF, brandishes its religious credentials at a time when it has lifted several restrictions on women in the kingdom, including in sports, eased gender segregation, sought to reduce the role of religion in public life, and introduced Western-style entertainment. (timesofisrael.com)
Saudi Arabia asserts the brigade and Mr. Soleimani were involved in Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping and Saudi oil installations and support Yemen's Houthi rebels and Shiite Muslim militias in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. (timesofisrael.com)

The Pakistani military has close ties to Saudi Arabia, with some 1,000 Pakistani soldiers in Saudi Arabia on training missions. (riazhaq.com)

The United Nations welcomed the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement and thanked China for its role. (wtop.com)
Saudi King Salman has even invited Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protégé of Khamenei, to visit the kingdom as well. (kron4.com)
In this picture released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, right, and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud shake hands during their meeting in Beijing, China, Thursday, April 6, 2023. (arabtimesonline.com)
The agreement was reached in Beijing during a meeting between the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers, a month after China had brokered an initial reconciliation agreement between the two regional powerhouses. (arabtimesonline.com)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian laid out details of Thursday's agreement in a tweet, after his talks with Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. (arabtimesonline.com)
The last Iranian foreign minister to visit Saudi Arabia on a public trip was Mohammad Javad Zarif, who traveled to the kingdom in 2015 to offer condolences for the death of King Abdullah. (fox5sandiego.com)
The war in Yemen continues, though Saudi-led strikes have dropped dramatically amid its efforts to withdraw from the conflict, which has seen the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels maintain their yearslong hold on the capital, Sanaa. (fox5sandiego.com)
Saudi Arabia was also a vocal critic of the recent Iranian agreement with world powers that ends international economic sanctions in exchange for limits on the Iranian nuclear program. (ktnv.com)
Shortly after the Iranian announcement, Saudi state media began publishing the same statement. (com.ng)
And, in the wake of the nuclear agreement, the increasing Iranian influence gives Saudi Arabia another reason to amp up the sectarian vehemence. (pomeps.org)
Saudi and Iranian sports have politics written into their DNA. (timesofisrael.com)
Iranian officials accuse Saudi authorities of discriminating against Iranian pilgrims. (iranprimer.com)
Saudi Arabia shoots down an Iranian Phantom jet over Saudi waters. (iranprimer.com)

Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric with 46 others days earlier , triggering the demonstrations. (wtop.com)
Despite a ban on public demonstrations in Saudi Arabia, on 29 July 2006, a pro-Hezbollah march took place in Al-Awamiyah and al-Qatif, protesting against Israel's military campaign against Lebanon. (wikipedia.org)
Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric days earlier, triggering the demonstrations. (com.ng)
Critics say al-Nimr was actually targeted for denouncing the Saudi royal dynasty and helping to organize anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012. (cnbc.com)

Hundreds of Shiite Muslims in Indian portion of Kashmiri rallied in the Shia dominated areas protesting against Saudi Arabia, after they announced on Saturday it had executed 47 prisoners convicted of terrorism charges, including al-Qaida detainees and a prominent Shiite cleric who rallied protests against the government. (ktnv.com)
In particular, Boris Johnson should raise the need for Saudi Arabia to end its repression of human rights defenders - including by releasing prisoners of conscience and ensuring that lengthy travel bans are lifted for people like Loujain al-Hathloul and Raif Badawi. (thelondoneconomic.com)
It did not say how the prisoners were executed, though death-row inmates typically are beheaded in Saudi Arabia. (nhpr.org)
Al Sheikh believes that by that executing the prisoners will save them from committing more evil acts. (muslimgirl.com)

The kingdom also said some of those executed were members of al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and also backers of Yemen's Houthi rebels. (nhpr.org)
Saudi Arabia has asked Pakistan's military to join the nations supporting its efforts against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but hasn't yet asked for the deployment of soldiers for defensive purposes, said the Pakistani official. (riazhaq.com)
The rebels intensified their rocket attacks across the Saudi border in recent days, prompting the coalition to threaten severe reprisals. (kaos.gr)

Understandably much of the world's attention is currently focused on Ukraine, but Saudi Arabia mustn't be allowed a free pass over the civilians being killed by Saudi coalition airstrikes in Yemen. (thelondoneconomic.com)
Pakistan won't participate in the Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen but will help Saudi Arabia defend its own territory if necessary, Pakistani officials said Thursday, as the country tries to avoid falling out with either side of the conflict. (riazhaq.com)
A plan to help secure the Saudi-Yemen border was being worked on, other Pakistani officials said. (riazhaq.com)
Every major opposition party has voiced concerns over joining the Yemen operation, but they have also supported Pakistan coming to the aid of Saudi Arabia if it comes under attack. (riazhaq.com)
Three civilians including two children have been killed in cross-border missile attacks from Yemen on a residential area in southwestern Saudi Arabia, civil defence authorities said. (kaos.gr)
The Saudis have deployed Patriot missile batteries designed to counter attacks and have recently been intercepting missiles fired from Yemen on an almost-daily basis. (kaos.gr)

In March 2009, at least four people, including a minor, were arrested after taking part in rallies which were organized to protest the warrant for the arrest of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a senior Shiite cleric and Imam of a mosque in Al-Awamiyah. (wikipedia.org)
Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, the nephew of Sheikh Nimr, was run over and arrested by Saudi authorities in 2012, and as of 15 February 2018[update], faces death for the same accusations. (wikipedia.org)
Sheikh Nimr established a large following among young Shites who experienced marginalization by Saudi Arabia. (muslimgirl.com)

His death comes 11 months after Saudi Arabia issued a sweeping counterterrorism law after Arab Spring protests shook the region in 2011 and toppled several longtime autocrats. (ktnv.com)
To counter Arab Spring rumblings that threatened to spill into eastern Saudi Arabia, the kingdom sent troops in 2011 to crush Shiite protests demanding more political powers from the Sunni-led, fraternal monarchy of Bahrain. (ktnv.com)
Authorities blacklisted the websites of Shiite-led organizations, which joined hundreds of opposition outlets and forums blocked since prodemocracy protests escalated in 2011. (freedomhouse.org)
The trial has begun in Saudi Arabia of the first woman accused of involvement in protests in a Shiite-majority area of the kingdom, a newspaper reported Tuesday. (bahrainmirror.com)

Also Monday evening, at least one suicide bomber and a car bomb exploded near a Shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, according to a resident there, several hours after another suicide bomber carried out an attack near the U.S. Consulate in the western city of Jiddah. (winknews.com)
Several state-linked media reported that two suicide bombers died in the attack, which was aimed at a Shiite mosque. (winknews.com)
IS affiliates in the kingdom have previously attacked Shiite places of worship, including a suicide bombing on a Shiite mosque in Qatif in May 2015 that killed 21 people. (winknews.com)
The number of executed surpassed even the toll of a January 1980 mass execution for the 63 militants convicted of seizing the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979, the worst-ever militant attack to target the kingdom and Islam's holiest site. (nhpr.org)
The number of those executed surpassed the number of those executed in January of 1980 when they mass executed 63 militants convicted of seizing the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979. (thedcpatriot.com)
A band of ultraconservative Saudi Sunni militants took the Grand Mosque, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims pray toward five times a day, demanding the Al Saud royal family abdicate. (cnewse.com)
Mosque and state remain closely bound in Saudi Arabia, basic law is derived from sharia, and the king is known as the 'Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,' a reference to the holy places of Mecca and Medina. (foreignpolicy.com)

During the crackdown the Saudi government demolished several historical sites and many other buildings and houses in Qatif. (wikipedia.org)

The number of death penalty cases being carried out in Saudi Arabia had dropped during the coronavirus pandemic, though the kingdom continued to behead convicts under King Salman and his assertive son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (nhpr.org)
The death penalty in Saudi Arabia slowed down with the Coronavirus pandemic, but beheadings still continued under King Salman and his very assertive son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (thedcpatriot.com)

Saudi state television aired images of Prince Mohammed sitting with Amirabdollahian in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. (kron4.com)
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Ahmed al-Ghamdi's long, bushy beard and red-checked headscarf are emblems of his conservative approach to Islam, which is no surprise for a man who once supervised the Saudi religious police in the holy city of Mecca. (foreignpolicy.com)

Those executed included 73 Saudis, seven Yemenis and one Syrian. (nhpr.org)

Qatif is heavily populated by Shiites, who are a minority in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. (winknews.com)
In 2019, the kingdom beheaded 37 Saudi citizens, most of them minority Shiites, in a mass execution across the country for alleged terrorism-related crimes. (nhpr.org)
Al-Nimr was an outspoken leader for younger Shiites - a minority sect of Islam that has repeatedly come into conflict with the Sunni majority across the Middle East. (cnbc.com)

An influential Shiite militia in Iraq, known as Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, called on the government Saturday to close down the embassy. (ktnv.com)
Saudi Arabia is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. (winknews.com)
Saudi Arabia remains publicly neutral, but reportedly makes three of its ports available to ship military equipment to Iraq. (iranprimer.com)
Saudi Arabia reportedly supplies Iraq with $1 billion per month in aid. (iranprimer.com)

Bahraini court sentenced cleric to six months in prison for using offensive terms against Yazid bin Muawiyah , the Umayyad ruler who killed the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. (bahrainmirror.com)
A Bahraini court ruled life imprisonment sentences against 6 Shiite citizens, whom it accused of attempting to bomb the town of Maamir, southeast of Manama. (bahrainmirror.com)

Of the 47 executed, one was a Chadian national while another was Egyptian. (africanexaminer.com)

The Saudi embassy in Baghdad, which had been closed for nearly 25 years, was reopened on Friday. (ktnv.com)

The court claimed-according to a "Sharia" Law decree by the country's clerics-that the reason behind the less severe punishment was because the man was unmarried, and therefore subject to a less severe punishment compared to a married woman and mother of two. (muslimgirl.com)
The websites of prominent political and religious societies belonging to the country's marginalized Shiite majority were blocked (see Blocking and Filtering). (freedomhouse.org)

Should Pakistan send troops to help the Saudis? (riazhaq.com)

Advocacy organization Reprieve, which works against the death penalty worldwide, said two of the Shiites executed were teenagers when they were arrested. (ktnv.com)
Harsha de Silva, Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister, expended a considerable amount of effort in raising pressure on the Saudi government to overturn the Sri Lankan woman's death penalty. (muslimgirl.com)
Al-Wasat , the only independent newspaper in the country, was banned from using electronic media in January after it posted articles related to a violent uprising in the town of A'ali and the controversial execution of three Shiite men in the first use of the death penalty since 2010. (freedomhouse.org)

The possibility of coordinated attacks across different cities in Saudi Arabia on the same day underscores the threat the kingdom faces from extremists who view the Western-allied Saudi monarchy as heretics and enemies of Islam. (winknews.com)
The Saudi monarchy, which based its legitimacy on Islam, felt its dominance threatened by the establishment of the Islamic Republic. (iranprimer.com)

Hundreds of al-Nimr's supporters protested in his hometown of al-Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia, in neighboring Bahrain where police fired tear gas and bird shot, and as far away as northern India. (ktnv.com)
Bahrain, a Saudi ally, followed suit on Monday morning. (cnbc.com)

A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen's exiled government in March 2015. (com.ng)
The Pakistani comments Thursday seemed at odds with a Saudi official state media report late last week, which said Pakistan had agreed to join the coalition. (riazhaq.com)

The Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. (com.ng)

At this time, there is no threat to Saudi territorial integrity," said Khawaja Asif, the Pakistani defense minister, who along with other officials visited Saudi Arabia this week. (riazhaq.com)
During a phone called between Mr. Sharif and Saudi King Salman, "the Prime Minister expressed full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Decisive Storm operation, stressing that all potentials of the Pakistani army are offered to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," according to the report Saturday carried by the Saudi official SPA news agency. (riazhaq.com)

Saudi Arabia, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims pray toward five times a day, has portrayed itself as the world's leading Sunni nation. (fox5sandiego.com)
You know, whether people like it or not, Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer of crude oil and it's important, especially at the time of a major global energy crisis, that we have these talks with them. (thelondoneconomic.com)

Deputy Public Security Head Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Khalifa decided to deactivate his Instagram account, following scandal that involved him insulting Shiite citizens of his country. (bahrainmirror.com)

While we value what we have reached, we hope that we will continue to continue the constructive dialogue," the Saudi official said. (wtop.com)

This sparked immediate backlash, especially among domestic and global Shiite communities. (pomeps.org)

Also executed Saturday were al-Qaida detainees who were convicted on launching a spate of attacks against foreigners and security forces a decade ago. (ktnv.com)
Saudi Arabia has been a target of Islamic State attacks that have killed dozens of people. (winknews.com)
Sunni men accused of launching al-Qaida attacks over 10 years ago were among those executed. (cnbc.com)
Former CIA agent Robert Baer has considered the implications of terrorist attacks on Saudi oil facilities, writing, 'At the least, a moderate-to-severe attack on Abqaiq would slow average production there from 6.8 million barrels a day to roughly a million barrels for the first two months post-attack, a loss equivalent to approximately one-third of America's current daily consumption of crude oil. (smallwarsjournal.com)

It also showed footage of Saudi King Salman's son and the Governor of Medina, Prince Faisal bin Salman, visiting security officers wounded in the blast and the site of the explosion. (winknews.com)

While social media has proven harder to censor, authorities often use social media posts as evidence in order to interrogate or jail prominent opposition leaders. (freedomhouse.org)

Someone should be thinking about Saddam's curse and ask the question as to what the Sunni and Shiite divide means to US policies. (blogspot.com)

Saudi Arabia is in the news on your Sunday as the Kingdom has executed 81 people committed of crimes in what is to be believed as the largest known execution in the history of the Saudi Arabia. (thedcpatriot.com)
It also comes as many suspect Saudi Arabia may compromise on Palestinian rights as part of a US-led effort to get the kingdom to recognize Israel. (timesofisrael.com)

Organisms2

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Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment1

Humanities1

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Arabia's18

201612

Iran59

Sunni-Shiite1

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Anti-government protests2

Majority Shiite population2

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United Arab Emi2

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Mohammed bin Salman2

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Iraq4

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