#SheikhNimr has already known that the Saudi government would not take these demands seriously and practically. However, he proposed them in the context of a gradual political project so he would establish a proof against this tyrannical regime in the subsequent steps of his political activity.
||| A PETITION OF HONOR AND DIGNITY [ALTERNATE L]ink .
(In the Name of Allah the Most
Gracious the Most Merciful)
Praise be to Allah who has made the
right steady and clear, and has made
the wrong aberrance and vanishing.
Peace and blessings upon those who
declared the right and spoke the
truth, Mohammed and his pure family.
I would like to show some
introductions before starting the
demands issue, namely:
First,
I speak openly and clearly without
compliments or dissimulation because
the latter has to do with preventing
a serious damage and fear of
oppression, injustice and
persecution, and I do not expect
something from that to happen
against me. Therefore, I am not
forced or compelled to practice any
from of dissimulation, which has
been legislated to prevent a serious
damage of oppression, injustice and
persecution.
Second,
the art of good hearing and
listening is more important - in
many contexts - than the art of good
speaking and declamation; because
one of the main reasons for a tense
relationship between the rulers and
the ruled, and between parents and
children, and so on … is the lack of
understanding of the rulers and
parents and because the way ruled
and children think is due to not
paying attention to them to them or
listening to them from an ivory
tower that lacks good listening.
Third,
the openness and the
truth are bitter and harsh at the
beginning of receiving them but they
are sweet, soft and velvety to those
who understand them, and be able to
discover the future through them,
and have the lead and initiative
without fear or fright.
Fourth,
a normal reading of the
letter is enough to remove the
confusion, uncertainty,
apprehensions and mistakes and thus
to see things as what they are.
However, this reading must be free
of: accumulated false or fake
reports, wrong or ambiguous
information, suspicious or biased
analysis and background information
contaminated with apprehension,
errors, bias and prejudice.
Fifth,
I hope that you open your hearts to
honesty and truth truth and
clarifying things, so there would be
no reason for those of pure hearts
and sincere tongues to practice
dissimulation. Also, there would be
reason for those of sick hearts and
twisted tongues to practice
hypocrisy, quackery, lying, fraud
and treachery.
Sixth,
the Shia ideology is a
rejectionist one, which rejects
injustice, oppression and
persecution. At the same time, it is
the best ideology capable to coexist
with all religions, sects, systems
and communities because it is an
ideology that seeks reformation,
peace and communal harmony, even if
it faces injustice and oppression at
the expense of their rights. Because
it is an ideology which rejects
chaos, violence, warring and
turmoil. We learned this peaceful
approach from Ali Bin Abi Talib
peace be upon him as he said: «Beware!
By Allah, so-and-so dressed himself
with it» the caliphate «and
he certainly knew that my position
in relation to it was the same as
the position of the axis in relation
to the hand-mill. The flood water
flows down from me and the bird
cannot fly up to me. I put a curtain
against the caliphate and kept
myself detached from it. Then I
began to think whether I should
assault or endure calmly the
blinding darkness of tribulations
wherein the grown up are made feeble
and the young grow old and the true
believer acts under strain till he
meets Allah (on his death). I found
that endurance thereon was wiser. So
I adopted patience although there
was pricking in the eye and
suffocation (of mortification) in
the throat. I watched the plundering
of my inheritance» He
taught us and guided us to endure
the injustice for civil and social
peace. His saying still resounds in
the hearts of his followers and
those who know him: «I
would be always peaceful as long as
Muslims affairs are secured even if
the oppression is against me only».
After those introductions, I
start my talk by Almighty Allah
saying: {O
David, indeed We have made you a
successor upon the earth, so judge
between the people in truth and do
not follow [your own] desire, as it
will lead you astray from the way of
Allah . Indeed, those who go astray
from the way of Allah will have a
severe punishment for having
forgotten the Day of Account}.
We did not demand, do not demand and
will not demand anything threatening
the security of the country or its
people or to undermine the pillars
of the state or to shorten its age
or weaken its institutions. In fact,
all our demands are those that
achieve security, stability and
stabilise the state’s pillars,
prolong its survival and strengthen
its institutions. Because we demand
only the right which Allah has
legitimised for His slaves and
ordered His prophets to govern with
right between people. It is the
right that achieves a decent life
and lives of the dignity that Allah
made them to the children of Adam {And
We have certainly honoured the
children} human dignity
which no one, whatsoever, has the
right to violate or take away, even
the human himself shall not have the
right to waive it but he has to keep
and strengthen it. Dignity is
superior to the right of life, which
no one has the absolute act upon it.
In fact, dignity is the reason why
human would live and survive, and
life has no value without it.
This dignity that every sensible and
honourable human looks forward to,
can be reached through the piety
steps, and with piety a human
reaches the highest degrees of
dignity {Surely
the most honourable among you in the
Providence of Allah are the most
pious}. Thus, piety has
become a good trait that all
prophets and Imams (peace be upon
them) have, and they recommended all
governors to act with it, as piety
is the solid foundation that
maintains the integrity and
stability of the governance and
prevents its collapse {Which
then is best? – he that layeth his
foundation on piety to Allah and His
good pleasure? – or he that layeth
his foundation on an undermined
sand-cliff ready to crumble to
pieces? and it doth crumble to
pieces with him, into the fire of
Hell. And Allah guideth not people
that do wrong}.
In order to have a pious governance
that brings goodness and stability
and prevents the collapse, all
legislations and systems, big and
small, in all ministries and state
institutions, have to act according
to the value of justice, which is
the closest way to attain piety {O
you who believe! stand out firmly
for Allah, as witnesses to fair
dealing, and let not the hatred of
others to you make you swerve to
wrong and depart from justice. Be
just: that is next to piety: and be
pious to Allah. For Allah is
well-acquainted with all that ye do}.
Allah ordered his prophet Dawood
(David) peace be upon him to rule by
justice between people. It is that
divine order which Allah had
commanded Mohammed, His best
creation, master of the prophets and
the most honourable messenger, peace
be upon him and his family {So
therefore, then call (mankind to
Allah), and go straight as you have
been commanded, and do not ever
follow their prejudices. And say, I
believe in whatever Book Allah has
sent down, and I have been commanded
to do justice between you}
and Allah has commanded all those
who become in power {Indeed,
Allah commands you to render trusts
to whom they are due and when you
judge between people to judge with
justice. Excellent is that which
Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah
is ever Hearing and Seeing}
and acting with justice between
people is a must to complete the
fruit of justice, {And
if you judge, judge between them
with justice. Indeed, Allah loves
those who act justly} and
for the rule of justice, Allah has
sent messengers with clear signs and
bright evidences, and sent down with
them books and constitutions
establishing laws that prevent
injustice. Also, He revealed to them
the balance of justice and equity in
order for people practice equity
without oppressing each other.
Moreover, He sent down a dissuasive
severe power to punish who violates
the rights of people. This
punishment might involve fighting
back. All of this is good for
people’s lives, dignity and
security. It is a protection for all
their rights, and a prevention of
being unjust to each other. It is
not to satisfy a lust or for a
revenge {We
have already sent Our messengers
with clear evidences and sent down
with them the Scripture and the
balance that the people may maintain
[their affairs] in justice. And We
sent down iron, wherein is great
military might and benefits for the
people, and so that Allah may make
evident those who support Him and
His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah
is Powerful and Exalted in Might}.
Thus, acting with justice and equity
are the most two important
responsibilities a ruler must do.
Because justice means the absence of
injustice from the ruler, and equity
means lack of inequity by people to
each other. By acting with justice
and acting with equity, human meets
his all rights and lives with
dignity in all aspects of life:
political, economical, social,
ideological, personal, etc.
This means that the most obligatory
duties of the ruler are two:
First:
Acting with justice without
oppression.
Second:
Acting with equity so people do not
oppress each other.
Acting with justice, and acting with
equity by the ruler and people are
the two main pillars to construct
the governance and to build its
strength and keep its lifetime.
These are the essence of the
demands, which the community seeks
and looks forward to achieve. As a
result, the system achieves the
social satisfaction and a
constructive effectiveness, wise
movement, and stable security. Then,
if the ruler is committed to act
with justice and equity, injustice
and oppression will end and if
injustice and oppression ends, the
system’s ship docks on the shore far
away from the rolling sea
tribulations and stormy turmoil, and
security restored in all aspects and
fields of life. And if security is
restored, economy grows, wealth
multiplies, all people become rich,
each human takes his/her complete
and undiminished right «When
the ruler comes, he acts with
justice, and oppression ends in his
time, and ways are secured, and
earth ejects its blessings, and
everyone takes back his/her right».
Through this preamble, it became
clear that our demands in total are:
First:
We demand justice, equity, freedom
to choose and practice a belief and
to hold ideas, visions and to
discuss them: (justice,
freedom of belief and thought).
Second:
We demand justice, equity, the
freedom to choose a profession and
to be promoted to higher positions
in all the state apparatus and
institutions: (justice,
freedom of profession).
Third:
We demand justice, equity and
freedom of investment in the natural
resources that Allah has bestowed on
this blessed country and get benefit
from them: (Justice,
economic freedom).
Fourth:
We demand justice, equity and
freedom in visions, theories,
political stance and participation:
(Justice
and political freedom).
Fifth:
We demand justice, equity and
freedom in community and personal
affairs: (Justice,
social freedom).
Sixth:
We demand justice and equity in the
provisions of the judiciary: (Judicial
justice).
In order not to let these the
demands general and vague, I will
list some of the demands -which the
community is looking forward to- to
identify them and be readable
clearly and unequivocally, namely:
1- Approving and certifying the
Shiite sect constitutionally,
recognising and declaring it
officially, respecting and
redressing it in all the state
apparatus and institutions
practically.
2- Any human being, a Muslim or the
other, has the right to hold the
sect he or she believes in. For
everyone has the right to choose the
sect of Ahlulbait (Shia) to believe
in its origins and branches and
worship them. No one has the right
to force others to hold or leave a
sect, or terrorise them as a cause
or preventing or harassing them from
practicing their rituals.
3- Abolition of all laws,
regulations, circulars and
legislations that infringe or
violate or exclude Shia sect or its
followers.
4- Replacing all religion
curriculums at schools and
universities by one of the following
options:
A.
Publishing a unified religion
curriculum that is limited to the
commons in the sects, pointing out
that no contentious issue between
the sects should be written down.
This is the most appropriate and
will satisfy everyone except those
with discrimination exclusionary
mind by the authority or weapon
force, and inability to debate with
evidence and proof.
B.
Publishing a curriculum for each
sect; then a student chooses the
curriculum if she or he is an adult
otherwise her or his guardian
chooses the curriculum.
C.
Publishing a curriculum according to
the population majority, this means
to teach the Shia curriculum in
Qatif and the like.
D.
Publishing a curriculum according to
the majority of the school students,
this means to teach the Shia
curriculum in most of the Shia
schools and like.
5- Building the Shrines of the Imams
(peace be upon them) in Baqi
cemetery in Medina in proportion to
their highness, so be honourable
shrines and holy places to visit
just like other places of Imams
(peace be upon them) in Iraq and
Iran. In fact, the state must cover
all the construction costs, fixing
its old sin and mistake when it was
led and dragged to the pressure of
few followers of one sect and
allowed them to demolish the pure
domes that become an open wound in
the heart of every loving of
Ahlubait (peace be upon them) as
well as the Shia loyal to them. This
wound does not heal with time, days,
years and ages, except to rebuild
these shrines better than they were.
The few followers do not represent
the ideology of this sect, as well
as the rest of other Islamic sects
that differ with opinion, stance and
behaviour. This appeared clearly
with the stance of these sects and
their reluctance to demolish the
tomb of the Prophet Mohammed, peace
be upon him and his family.
6- Giving a license to build
seminaries and religious colleges
and institutes that teach Islamic
studies and knowledge inspired by
the Quran, the Prophet sayings and
his family peace be upon them, as in
the case of Iraq, Iran, Syria,
Lebanon and other countries in the
Muslim world.
7- Having a full independence of the
Jaffari courts from the Grand Sharia
Court, and preventing it to
intervene in any matter of the Shia
affairs of judiciary. Giving more
authority to the Shia judges in
their courts as much as the judicial
position needs to rule between
people and to meet their
requirements and legal affairs.
8- Allowing to form a council for
the Shia scholars under the name (The
Council of Ahlulbait Scholars)
and only those who reach the degree
of (ijtihad) is eligible for
a membership. This council task is
to guide, direct and develop all the
Shia affairs and seeks to meet their
legal needs. It has to be
independent and far away from
foreign or interior interventions.
9- Giving a license to build
mosques, Hussainiat and religious
centres and institutions. Removing
all the barriers and obstacles that
prevent or disrupt or hinder or
delay or complicate the construction
issue.
10- Allowing people to practice all
their religious rituals.
11- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence to
represent the religious matters in
the official media of all kinds.
12- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence to lead
the prayer in Mecca mosque and
Medina mosque.
13- Allowing to import Shia books
from abroad and to print Shia books
inside.
14- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence in the
institutions that are supervised by
the state such as the World Muslim
League as well as other similar
organisations.
15- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence to be
upgraded in senior positions in the
state such ministers, membership of
Shura Council (the Consultative
Council) and diplomatic corps.
16- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence in the
administration of girls education,
to start with a school director and
higher positions.
17- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence to be
upgraded in senior positions in
Saudi Aramco as well as other
companies related to the state.
18- Giving the Shia a fair share
commensurate with their percentage,
proportions and competence in the
jobs opportunities and its human
resources in all state apparatus,
facilities and institutions.
19- Building a city of universities
in Qatif, inclusive all the
important and essential disciplines
that people and the labour market
need. It must accommodate all
graduates from secondary school,
even those who exceeded their age or
graduation time.
20- Rehiring all employees and
labourers who have been dismissed
from their jobs because of the
arrest in 1980 and after, giving
back their rights and compensate
them morally, financially, and to
improve what will come, also to
enable them establishing a decent
life.
21- Releasing all the political
detainees and especially those who
have been protracted in prison.
Today, detainees as well as their
children, wives, fathers, mothers,
all their families and the community
are waiting to be set free.
Detainees want to be released from
their cells and be united with their
beloved to live a normal and decent
life again.
22- Tackling the made up
unemployment problem and hiring all
the secondary graduates in addition
to the university graduates with
rewarding salaries that enable a
person to live decently, to begin
with marriage and establishing a
virtuous family and building a
house; and to financial welfare, and
to set the maximum working hours and
minimum wages for all scientific,
professional and practical level so
as employers do not to take
advantage of people who seek a
decent life painstakingly.
23- Sorting out affairs and issues
from each others, not to deal with
them always from security
perspective as there are a lot of
issues that have nothing to do with
security aspect. Thus, when they are
politicized and dealt with from a
security perspective, problems and
crises occur as a result of that
security way.
24- The state has to stand at a same
distance from all segments of
society and its doctrines without
taking a side for one against
another narrowing itself.
25- Finding a civil and governmental
institution to hear from people
about their grievances and
complaints from the officials or
employees in the state apparatus,
and seeking actively to do justice
for the oppressed and punish the
aggressor. This institution is
preferably to be located in the
principality. The state appoints
some of its members which it relies
on and trusts their sayings, and the
best of the people chooses the best
of them similar to the number which
were appointed by the state. A
committee comes out of this
institution in every town, which has
its members from the most qualified
people. Then, people who have been
facing injustice go to the committee
in their town. After that, the
committee goes to the institution in
the principality and this
institution goes to the concerned
body with each complaint it has.
Finally, I ask the mighty
Allah to clean our hearts, to purify
our tongues, to unite us, to bring
us together, to let down our enemy
and to support our word - the pure
monotheism - {Exalted
is your Lord, the Lord of might,
above what they describe. And peace
be upon the messengers. And praise
to Allah, Lord of the worlds}.
Nimr Baqir al-Nimr
03-07-1428 AH
18-07-2007 AD
And so, I, MA, too confess, I am Martyr, and I Bear Witness, that Death with Dignity is superior to Living under Oppressive Tyrants, and no matter how much they try to stop us, we will continue to Call upon Ali; YA ALI HAQ Ya Ali .
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