The Great Martyr And Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr And His Courageous Mission To Liberate The Saudi People
“Through the state-sponsored assassination of Sheikh al-Nimr, the Saudi Arabian monarchy has brought the wrath of Allah upon themselves from which there will be no escape” — A Veteran Western Intelligence Analyst
TMR Editor’s Note:
Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, the Muslim cleric who was recently executed by the Saudi Arabian regime, was perhaps the most courageous voice ever to emerge from the Arabian Peninsula. From the very beginning of his advocacy the good sheikh preached nonviolent reform of Saudi society. He never once deviated from this stance and consequently posed a serious threat to the monarchy itself.
The Saudi dictatorship only knows how to rule by way of violence and through the propagation of fear. The monarchy itself, which has always reigned from the House of Saud, actually grew out of violence and terrorism from its earliest years. The people of Saudi Arabia have been oppressed by a cruel tyranny, especially the minority Shia population which has suffered through decades of repression.
Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was like a voice crying in the wilderness of Saudi Arabia. He was practically alone in his noble mission to free his people as well as those who belonged to the Sunni branch of Islam. Shikeh al-Nimr saw no real differences among the people; he saw the divisions created by government and the conflicts which were fabricated to keep the different religious traditions separated. He sought to peacefully crush those seeds of division and conflict with words of healing and reconciliation.
“He told people that the roar of the word is mightier than the sound of bullets”
— Mohammed al-Nimr, son Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr
The highly revered Sheikh al-Nimr will forever be remembered as the Mahatma Gandhi of Saudi Arabia. Just like Gandhi, he fervently advocated non-violent reform in the midst of the most brutal form of governmental despotism in the world today. Also like Gandhi, al-Nimr was shot by cowards though he offended and threatened no one. Ultimately, he died at the hands of a merciless and barbaric regime.
In fact, the Saudi Arabian government was more fearful of the gentle yet powerful words of truth uttered by the good sheikh than they were of all the bullets fired by the freedom fighters. The regime knew they would catch the gun-toting revolutionaries sooner or later. As for the many peaceful warriors loyal to the philosophy of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, the Saudi monarchy has no real defense; for one day the House of Saud will be overrun by the sheer force of righteousness of his converts. After all, they now have a truly great martyr from whom they derive an indomitable spirit, perpetual inspiration and unrivaled bravery.
What follows is an NPR interview of the martyred Shia cleric’s son, Mohammed al-Nimr .
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Shiite Sheikh Executed By Saudi Arabia Preached Against Violence, Son Says
NPR
Mohammed al-Nimr is the son Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed by Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of Mohammed al-Nimr
When Saudi Arabia executed leading Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr early this month, it was the beginning of a downward spiral in relations between the kingdom and Iran.
A violent protest at the Saudi Embassy in Iran’s capital Tehran led Saudi Arabia to cut ties with its longtime regional rival.
Nimr al-Nimr was a leader in Saudi Arabia’s marginalized Shiite community and an outspoken critic of the government.
We’ve written in depth about who Nimr was. Today, Kelly McEvers of All Things Considered spoke with his 28-year-old son Mohammed al-Nimr, who is based in Indiana. He says his father preached non-violence. “He told people that the roar of the word is mightier than the sound of bullets,” Nimr says.
Here are some highlights from that interview:
“I’m proud of what he did,” Nimr said of his father’s outspoken criticism of the Saudi government. “We tried to make our sound heard in the world for like more than 100 years right now. But by his action, what he did made the whole world see what kind of government is Saudi Arabia government. They can’t face words, so they kill people.”
Kelly asked Nimr about the Saudi government’s claim that his father was a terrorist. The government said that the cleric was armed when police arrested him.
“I just want to ask anyone who would claim that, anyone, to bring one proof — just one proof — that my father said a violent word against anyone,” Nimr said, adding: “He was shot four times when he was not armed. But ok, if he was armed, basically, why couldn’t they show the people that? Even though none of them got hurt. He was the only one who got hurt.”
Nimr said that he got news of his father’s execution while he was at home in his apartment. He said at first he was in shock but later felt what he described as relief.
“He was in solitary from 2012,” Nimr said of his father. “I knew that they’re not going to let him go. He was basically in, I can say a dungeon, he can’t even see the sun.”
This is a statement to NPR from Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Washington, where they argue that Nimr was involved in terror attacks and received due process:
“Saudi Arabia is very determined to confront terrorism and will show no mercy to those that kill the innocents. Nimr Al-Nimr, along with the other 46 individuals, had their due process and were convicted of terror operations that led to the killing of innocent people.
“Al-Nimr was dedicated to destabilizing and disrupting society and economic prosperity. He used religious platforms and social media to incite violence and terrorism. He was implicated in inciting and recruiting people to commit terrorist acts, providing weapons and munitions for people to commit terrorist acts, and involvement in attacks against security personnel and police stations that led to the killing of innocents.
“Al-Nimr founded a terrorist cell and advocated an armed insurgency against the government. He spread messages of violence and hatred throughout the Middle East region.”