Over the weekend, 47 men were executed in Saudi Arabia for allegedly instigating violence.
Most were beheaded, the others shot by a firing squad.
Of those, was Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a cleric in Saudi Arabia who ruffled the feathers of the royal family. Sunni Muslims comprise the majority of Saudis. As a Shiite, the revered cleric had a strong following in the eastern part of the country.
The two sects are archenemies.
The Iranians, standard bearers of the Shiites, say Sheikh Nimr protested in a peaceable manner, urging all Muslims to drop sectarian violence. The cleric roundly criticized not only Sunni leaders, but also those who aligned with the Shiites in regards to the civil war in Syria, where Iran and Saudi Arabia support opposing sides.
And while it’s probably a stretch to put him on the level of Mahatma Gandhi, it does appear the elderly cleric was a campaigner of sorts for human rights, which puts him head and shoulders above any leaders of the entire Mideast. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia have atrocious records when it comes to respecting individual liberties or due process of law.
SAUDI leaders say the mass execution was needed to send a strong message that it will not tolerate insurrection.
Of course the real message is that they will not tolerate thoughts that run contrary to theirs.
With such intransigence, hopes of peace remain on a far and distant shore.
— Susan Lynn
