Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Rights report sparks indignation in Saudi Arabia
Saudi politicians, researchers and intellectuals have closed ranks in defence of the country's treatment of its citizens and described a newly released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report alleging a "pattern of discrimination against the Ismailis" as a document that has blown things out of proportion.
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor
- Published: 23:53 September 22, 2008
Dubai: Saudi politicians, researchers and intellectuals have closed ranks in defence of the country's treatment of its citizens and described a newly released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report alleging a "pattern of discrimination against the Ismailis" as a document that has blown things out of proportion.
The initial reaction of the Saudi intelligentsia - many said they have not had a chance to examine the report in detail or ascertain the sources on which it bases its assessment - varied greatly but suggested a general consensus that things were not as bad as HRW had made it out to be.
Some sought to rebuff the perceived bias while others accused Iran of exacerbating Sunni-Shiite tensions in the region by instigating Shiite groups to speak against their governments.
Singled out
"As far as I know," Saudi socio-political scholar Khalid Al Dakheel said, "This is the first time they [HRW] have singled out this group [Ismailis]."
"In principle, all citizens should be treated equally regardless of their sectarian backgrounds, but on the issue of Ismailis, I won't comment before I know the basis of the report," he told Gulf News.
According to HRW, several hundred thousand, "perhaps as many as one million" Ismailis live in the Najran province of Saudi Arabia on the southwestern border with Yemen.
Saudi Arabia took control of Najran from Yemen in 1934, incorporating into the kingdom the local Sulai-mani Ismaili community, a Shiite offshoot.
In its report released on Monday, HRW urged the Saudi government to end its "systematic discrimination" of minority Ismaili Shiites. It said in a statement it had observed "a pattern of discrimination against the Ismailis in government employment, education, religious freedom and the justice system."
"The Saudi government preaches religious tolerance abroad, but it has consistently penalised its Ismaili citizens for their religious beliefs," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director of the New York-based watchdog.
"The government should stop treating Ismailis as second-class [citizens] in employment, the justice system and education," Stork said in a statement.
While stressing the importance of treating citizens equally, Mohammad Al Zulfa, a member of the Saudi Shura Council, told Gulf News: "Usually reports related to human rights and discrimination in the region against some minorities, to a great extent, reflect reality, but in some cases, it tends to include loud voices that exaggerate certain issues."
"I know the region very well and I have good relations with many people," Al Zulfa said.
"They [the Ismailis] have held prominent positions in various fields in the past, including the military. They are known for their loyalty to their country and no one spoke of discrimination against them or the minorities before the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the awakening movement of radical Islamists in the early eighties," he said.
- With additional inputs from agencies
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