Shit just got real down there
The irony of Iran rallying behind the cause of a champion for the freedom of speech and religious equality...
...And the Saudis' absolute disregard for human rights, even in the face of a universal global outcry.
Iran leader sees 'divine vengeance' for Saudi cleric execution
As the Daily Mail summarizes the story of this, ehm, martyr for human rights,
... "The Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr rose to prominence during the 2011 pro-democracy protests in his hometown of Qatif, eastern Saudi Arabia. His leadership elevated him to hero-like status among the protesting Shiite youth. He also became an icon in the broader Shia vs Sunni narrative, which is played out across the Middle East - most acutely in the Yemeni and Syrian civil wars and in Iraq. His peaceful, but outspoken opposition to the Saudi Royal family, and his very public speeches against the monarchy demanding equality for Shias in Saudi Arabia also increased his profile.
Nimr was arrested in July 2012 and charged with instigating unrest, 'disobeying the ruler' and 'encouraging, leading and participating in demonstrations'. The charges were dismissed by human rights advocacy group Amnesty International as violating freedom of speech. His arrest caused days of rioting in Saudi Arabia, in which three people were killed. He was sentenced to death on October 25 after his appeal was denied, no date was set for his execution, although Saudi Arabian King Salman could have pardoned the cleric at any time.
Amnesty International UK's Shane Enright said a recent Amnesty report concluded that the trial against Nimr was 'deeply flawed', adding: 'We also came to the conclusion that he was jailed solely for expressing his peaceful points of view, protesting peacefully against the regimes. 'This is an absolute, fundamental, breach of basic human rights,' he said.
The Sheikh's nephew Ali al-Nimr, who was 17 at the time of his arrest following the protests, was not included in the list of those executed although concerns are growing for his fate. He has been sentenced to death by beheading and crucifixion." ...
Naturally, the top concern that the West seems to be having from the whole story is not the violation of human rights itself, not even the imminent escalation of tensions between the two most powerful, ruthless, and heavily armed regional players in an already very volatile region, but... wait for it... Do Their Missiles Threaten Us?
No, dear. They do not threaten us. They've never threatened us. But that's not the main problem here, is it?
You guessed right: it's the oil, stupid. Apparently, now that Iran is back into the oil game, the Saudi-Iranian oil rivalry, now mixed with geopolitical struggles across Iraq and Syria (with too many players involved, like Turkey, Russia, Europe, etc), is going to make the playfield rather bumpy and unpredictable. What, even more unpredictable than it already is, you'd ask? Yeah, that's right. Cue the apocalyptic prophets about a double-dip global recession, peak oil, WW3, the Four Horsemen and whatnot.
...And the Saudis' absolute disregard for human rights, even in the face of a universal global outcry.
Iran leader sees 'divine vengeance' for Saudi cleric execution
As the Daily Mail summarizes the story of this, ehm, martyr for human rights,
... "The Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr rose to prominence during the 2011 pro-democracy protests in his hometown of Qatif, eastern Saudi Arabia. His leadership elevated him to hero-like status among the protesting Shiite youth. He also became an icon in the broader Shia vs Sunni narrative, which is played out across the Middle East - most acutely in the Yemeni and Syrian civil wars and in Iraq. His peaceful, but outspoken opposition to the Saudi Royal family, and his very public speeches against the monarchy demanding equality for Shias in Saudi Arabia also increased his profile.
Nimr was arrested in July 2012 and charged with instigating unrest, 'disobeying the ruler' and 'encouraging, leading and participating in demonstrations'. The charges were dismissed by human rights advocacy group Amnesty International as violating freedom of speech. His arrest caused days of rioting in Saudi Arabia, in which three people were killed. He was sentenced to death on October 25 after his appeal was denied, no date was set for his execution, although Saudi Arabian King Salman could have pardoned the cleric at any time.
Amnesty International UK's Shane Enright said a recent Amnesty report concluded that the trial against Nimr was 'deeply flawed', adding: 'We also came to the conclusion that he was jailed solely for expressing his peaceful points of view, protesting peacefully against the regimes. 'This is an absolute, fundamental, breach of basic human rights,' he said.
The Sheikh's nephew Ali al-Nimr, who was 17 at the time of his arrest following the protests, was not included in the list of those executed although concerns are growing for his fate. He has been sentenced to death by beheading and crucifixion." ...
Naturally, the top concern that the West seems to be having from the whole story is not the violation of human rights itself, not even the imminent escalation of tensions between the two most powerful, ruthless, and heavily armed regional players in an already very volatile region, but... wait for it... Do Their Missiles Threaten Us?
No, dear. They do not threaten us. They've never threatened us. But that's not the main problem here, is it?
You guessed right: it's the oil, stupid. Apparently, now that Iran is back into the oil game, the Saudi-Iranian oil rivalry, now mixed with geopolitical struggles across Iraq and Syria (with too many players involved, like Turkey, Russia, Europe, etc), is going to make the playfield rather bumpy and unpredictable. What, even more unpredictable than it already is, you'd ask? Yeah, that's right. Cue the apocalyptic prophets about a double-dip global recession, peak oil, WW3, the Four Horsemen and whatnot.