The middle East Website, “Middle East Eye” reported in Saudi Arabia should be re-religious activists executed. Mass executions to take, says Saudi Arabia-expert Madawi Al-Rasheed in the DW-Interview.
Madawi Al-Rasheed research to Saudi Arabia at the London School of Economics and Science
Directly following the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the on 4. June ends, we are supposed to be the three cleric Salman Al-Odah, Awad Al-Qarni, Ali, and Al-Omari executed. The report by Middle East Eye has attracted much attention: The German section of reporters without borders and the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, have him spread via Twitter. Also Al-Jazeera and other Arab media have taken him.
Is Saudi Arabia a new wave of politically-motivated executions? Least 37 people were there in April, for obviously political reasons, executed. The Social anthropologist Madawi Al-Rasheed is from Saudi Arabia and has written several books about society and history in their home country.
Deutsche Welle: Can you confirm the message about the imminent execution of three Islamic scholar?
Al-Rashid: To my knowledge, the Saudi courts have still not death sentences. But the Prosecutor’s office has concluded the death penalty is already clear in recital. Alone against the cleric Salman Al-Odah, the judiciary has collected 37 points in the indictment. The Saudi Regime could exploit the current tense Situation in the Region, quite to the death penalty to be enforced. Especially when it comes to accusations relating to the relations with Qatar, or the conflict with Iran. The three defendants are accused of terrorism and espionage, they should also be supporters of the Muslim brotherhood. We have to assume that it will be this time again the death penalty. But for sure, no one knows.
The Regime in Saudi Arabia has not seen after the murder of the government-critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi, however, that the international community is prepared to impose due to such fact, sanctions against Saudi Arabia and to put economic interests at risk. In particular, the U.S. government has ignored in the case of Khashoggi all the reports of their own secret service, the CIA, as the Donald Trump of Saudi Arabia was going to speak of this terrible suspicion free.
The report, “Middle East Eye” works with anonymous sources, which are hardly verifiable. Could this be an attempt to damage the Image of Saudi Arabia aware of how supporters of the regime argue?
That’s right, in the article, all the sources have been anonymised. But this is nothing Special, for government critics in the country often speak with the international media, without mentioning their names. You have to worry otherwise, reprisals. In this respect, it is for the Saudi Regime itself, not helpful at all, that it allows no transparency and that such processes are always in the Secret to expire.
Currently in custody: The Saudi preacher Salman Al-Odah has millions of Social Media Followers
Saudi Arabia’s handling of the death penalty speaks for itself: Only a month ago, all of a sudden, 37 persons were executed. Also, the massive wave of arrests in the past three years, is an almost unique process. The responsibility for the information deficit in all of this is up to the Saudi Regime itself – and not the human rights organizations that make the public. Similarly, the neighbors of Qatar, is viewed in Riyadh as an enemy. The Numbers speak for themselves: According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, it was only in the past six months, more than a hundred fully stretched out death sentences in Saudi Arabia.
Some of the Saudi Regime critics in exile to Express the view that the Regime spread such information – as a kind of test balloon to test the reaction of the international Public on these judgments, or to the people carefully prepare for it. Do you think it likely?
I can’t confirm that. Such a message would always be shocking. Salman Al-Odeh, for example, is very prominent. Even if the Saudis are not going to go on the streets: execute him, would be no small thing. He is no one you can as a terrorist call. His relationship with Qatar was his undoing.
Why is there so little international criticism against the Situation in Saudi Arabia?
On a state level, there are in the West, organisations and the media, a lot of criticism. You have taken on the issue of the detained women, and were able to effect something. But the three men have a long history as a preacher. May be you are, therefore, less interesting, or are considered to be representatives of a political Islam, even if you stand up for democracy.
The next wave of Executions is only a matter of time?
Yes, I’m afraid. In Saudi Arabia death punishment is something Normal. But in recent times, as a rule, took place again and again, the rights of mass executions. Also, the 37 death sentences last month, were carried out on full. Among them peaceful activists, and even young people were. Young people were executed, protesting in the Wake of the upheavals of the Arab spring reforms. When they were arrested, they were just 16 years old. If the state puts them all in a drawer and executes, is the fatal. As if human life has no value.
Madawi Al-Rasheed is a Social anthropologist and currently teaches at the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics and Science (LSE) as a visiting Professor.
The Interview was conducted by Nermin Ismail, and Hassan Hussain.