Qatif conflict

The Qatif conflict refers to the modern phase of sectarian tensions and violence in Eastern Arabia between Arab Shia Muslims and Arab Sunni majority, which has ruled Saudi Arabia since early 20th century. The conflict encompasses civil unrest which has been sporadically ongoing since 1979 events, pro-democracy and pro-human rights protests and occasional armed incidents, which increased in 2017 as part of the 2017–19 Qatif unrest.

Qatif conflict
Part of the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict

Map of Saudi Arabia, with Eastern Province (including Qatif region) highlighted.
Date26 November 1979 – 1983 (4 years)
11 March 2011 – present
(9 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Qatif and Awamiya, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Status

Ongoing

  • Civil unrests suppressed
  • Political crackdown on civil disobedience in Saudi Arabia
  • Continuing discrimination, human rights violations, and violence towards Shi'a citizens
Belligerents

 Saudi Arabia

Iran-backed Shia militants (1980's-1990's)[1]

Saudi Shia civilians
Commanders and leaders
Unknown Unknown
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
Total: 213–275 killed (1979–1983,2011-2017)

Background
Main articles: Unification of Saudi Arabia, Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia, Conquest of al-Hasa, and Conquest of Ha'il

Since Al-Hasa and Qatif were conquered and annexed into the Emirate of Riyadh in 1913 by Ibn Saud, Shiites in the region had experienced state of oppression. Unlike most of Saudi Arabia, Qatif and much of the Eastern Province has a Shiite majority, and the region is also being of key importance to the Saudi government due to it both possessing the bulk of Saudi oil reserves as well as the main Saudi refinery and export terminal of Ras Tanura, which is situated close to Qatif.[3]

History

1979 uprising

The 1979 Qatif Uprising was a period of unprecedented civil unrest that occurred in Qatif and Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia, in late November 1979. The unrest resulted in 20-24 people killed in what was described as a sectarian outburst of violence between the Shi'a minority and Sunni majority in Saudi Arabia and the beginning of the modern phase of the Qatif conflict.

1979-83 crackdown

After the 1979 uprising, the Saudi authorities have engaged in systematic persecution of Shi'a activists in Qatif, with an estimated 182-219 killed by 1983 (including the 1979 events).[4]

Arab Spring protests 2011-12
Main article: 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests

The protests in Saudi Arabia were part of the Arab Spring that started with the 2011 Tunisian revolution. Protests started with a self-immolation in Samtah[5] and Jeddah street protests in late January 2011.[6][7] Protests against anti-Shia discrimination followed in February and early March in Qatif, Hofuf, al-Awamiyah, and Riyadh.[8][9] A Facebook organiser of a planned 11 March "Day of Rage",[10][11] Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad,[12] was allegedly killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March,[12][13][14] with several hundred people protesting in Qatif, Hofuf and al-Amawiyah on the day itself.[15] Khaled al-Johani demonstrated alone in Riyadh,[15] was interviewed by BBC Arabic Television, was detained in ʽUlaysha Prison,[16][17] and became known online as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia".[16] Many protests over human rights took place in April 2011 in front of government ministry buildings in Riyadh, Ta'if and Tabuk[18][19][20] and in January 2012 in Riyadh.[21] In 2011, Nimr al-Nimr encouraged his supporters in nonviolent resistance.[22]

Execution controversy of Nimr al-Nimr

On 15 October 2014, al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court for "seeking 'foreign meddling' in [Saudi Arabia], 'disobeying' its rulers and taking up arms against the security forces".[23] Said Boumedouha of Amnesty International stated that the death sentence was "part of a campaign by the authorities in Saudi Arabia to crush all dissent, including those defending the rights of the Kingdom's Shi'a Muslim community."[24]

Nimr al-Nimr's brother, Mohammad al-Nimr, tweeted information about the death sentence[23] and was arrested on the same day.[24]

The head of Iran's armed forces warned Saudi Arabia that it would "pay dearly" if it carried out the execution.[25]

In March 2015 the Saudi Arabian appellate court upheld the death sentence against al-Nimr.[26]

On 25 October 2015, the Supreme Religious Court of Saudi Arabia rejected al-Nimr's appeal against his death sentence. During an interview for Reuters, al-Nimr's brother claimed that the decision was a result of a hearing which occurred without the presence or notification of al-Nimr's lawyers and family. This being said, he still remained hopeful that King Salman would grant a pardon.[27][28][29] However, on January 2, 2016, al-Nimr was executed.[30][31]

Unrest 2017-present
Main article: 2017–2020 Qatif unrest

The 2017–19 Qatif unrest is a conflict in the Qatif region (within Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia) between the Saudi government and the Shia militants. It began in May 2017 after an incident on 12 May when a child and a Pakistani young man were shot and killed.[32] In the same month, Saudi authorities erected siege barricades in Awamiyah and attempted to bulldoze the al-Musawara residential area. The conflict became an armed conflict, with about 12–25 people killed in shelling and sniper fire during May and the following few months.[33]

On 11 May 2019, 8 militants were killed in a firefight with Saudi security forces in the Sanabis neighborhood of Qatif.[34]

Human rights
Main article: Shi'a Islam in Saudi Arabia § Restrictions and persecutions

See also

References
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  2. Turki al-Suhail (25 August 2017). "Iran Planned to Revive 'Hezbollah Al-Hejaz' Under Al-Mughassil's Command". Asharq Al-Awsat. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  3. Nehme, Michel G. (October 1994). "Saudi Arabia 1950–80: Between Nationalism and Religion". Middle Eastern Studies. 30 (4): 930–943. doi:10.1080/00263209408701030. JSTOR 4283682.
  4. JAY PETERZELL (1990-09-24). "The Gulf: Shi'Ites: Poorer Cousins". TIME. Archived from the original on 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
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  15. Banerjee, Neela (11 March 2011). "Saudi Arabia 'day of rage' protest fizzles". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
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  23. "Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr 'sentenced to death'". BBC News. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
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  25. The Shia in Saudi Arabia: The sword unsheathed Archived 2017-10-08 at the Wayback Machine, economist.com.
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  34. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/saudi-state-media-terrorist-suspects-killed-qatif-190512055024178.html

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