Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr 'sentenced to death'

RIYADH: -- A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a prominent Shia cleric to death, his brother has said on Twitter.

Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr went on trial in Riyadh last year after being accused by prosecutors of "sowing discord" and "undermining national unity".

The cleric was a vocal supporter of the mass anti-government protests that erupted in Eastern Province in 2011.

His arrest two years ago, during which he was shot and wounded by police, triggered days of deadly unrest.

Oil-rich Eastern Province is home to a Shia majority that has long complained of marginalisation at the hands of the Sunni royal family.

Protests began there in February 2011 after the start of the pro-democracy uprising in neighbouring Bahrain, which has a Shia majority and a Sunni royal family.

The Saudi authorities deny discriminating against Shia and blame Iran for stirring up discontent.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29627766


-- BBC 2014-10-15

Man...these Muslim countries...fight amongst themselves...fight the Western world...infighting among different groups within the same country...and just for good measure...are working on destroying Israel...what a great way to live...

Hate is not a crime there...it is a way of life...

That's going to go down like a lead balloon.

I'm guessing Saudi has bumped up tear gas imports in anticipation.

Inflammatory post removed.

Recently Saudi Arabia expanded its "connections" with other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Countries) militarily. This was a big deal as there are large Shia populations throughout this area and in some emirates/countries sunni minorities lead. Thus any instigation by shia Iran that results in instability to SA neighbors also poses a direct threat to SA. In this case, I would suspect he was indicted and convicted less for being shia and more for instigating separatism. Indeed, shia or sunni majority, SA exists constantly as nearly 1/2 illegitimate to their own people. But the fact remains, underlying reports such as these, that Iran is stoking sedition in a number of GCC places; this is part of the backstory to the IS debacle- the proxy manueverings of Sunni/shia and the west.

Well I believe he was also calling for the assassination of certain GCC royals, which is never a wise thing to do.

UNFORTUNATELY HATE HATE AND MORE HATE