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| Arabia |
| Leading Saudi dissident 'freed' |
| 2003-03-25 |
| A leading pro-reformist cleric has been freed after spending eight years in jail without trial in Saudi Arabia, his supporters say. Sheikh Saeed bin Zuair, reportedly Saudi Arabia's longest-serving political prisoner, was released "without conditions", a spokesman for the UK-based Movement for Islamic Reform said. Is Iraq starting to pay off already? "[Sheikh Zuair's release] was a surprise decision which we were informed of only an hour beforehand," the cleric's son, Mubarak, told Reuters news agency. Sheikh Zuair was detained in 1995 during a government crackdown on dissidents. Human rights groups say Sheikh Zuair was tortured while he was in jail. Sheikh Zuair was arrested at his home in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after calling for more democracy in the staunchly conservative kingdom. He was also held for objecting to a religious edict allowing peace with Israel. Surprised nobody killed him for that one... The cleric, a former professor at Imam Mohammad bin Saud University in Riyadh, was never charged or never appeared in court. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #7 I remember this. He was jailed for OPPOSING the recognition of Israel. Wonder what his release right now means.... |
| Posted by: tek 2003-03-25 14:58:03 |
| #6 MIRA, the London-based Saudi opposition group mentioned in the article, is an al-Qaeda front who is mad that the Saudi government isn't radical enough for their sakes. This guy's release could be seen as a sign that the government is attempting to make concessions to the extremists, which could indicate just how badly things are going behind the scenes for those members of House Saud who desire to retain a US military presence in the Kingdom and those who want to go all-out in the jihad against the kufr. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2003-03-25 14:57:52 |
| #5 Cancel the bucket Fred. There is too much going on now. I think bulldog is right. They must have forgotten the dis in the report. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-03-25 14:54:02 |
| #4 Gack! I read that sentence at least three times, and didn't reed it write onse... I'll now spend the rest of the day with a bucket on my head. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-03-25 14:41:10 |
| #3 "He was also held for objecting to a religious edict allowing peace with Israel." ...? Is it meant to read disallowing? Shurely shome mishtake shomewhere. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-03-25 14:39:07 |
| #2 The cleric, a former professor at Imam Mohammad bin Saud University in Riyadh... So much for tenure. |
| Posted by: Raj 2003-03-25 14:23:17 |
| #1 Actually, if I'm reading the story right, it looks as if he objected to PEACE w. Israel. Allahu Akbar, for a moment there, I thought Islam had become some sort of peaceful religion... |
| Posted by: mjh 2003-03-25 14:20:19 |