Protests in support of Gaza's Palestinians corrupt: Saudi cleric

[Alamuti Lotus]

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Protests in support of Gaza's Palestinians corrupt: Saudi cleric

A top Saudi cleric and justice official has branded protests in support of Gaza's Palestinians as corrupt, saying they only serve to foment anger and aggression, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Sheikh Saalih al-Fawzaan, chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Council and one of the country's top scholars of Islamic shariah law, said the protests represent "corruption on Earth, and not righteousness or reform," according to Al Hayat daily.

His statement came in the wake of protests last Monday in eastern Saudi Arabia against Israel's attacks on Gaza. One of the protests was broken up by police firing rubber bullets and 11 people were arrested.

Such demonstrations are rare in Saudi Arabia, and Interior Ministry spokesman General Mansur al-Turki said earlier this week that they are banned.

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Saudis Arrest Two over Riyadh pro-Gaza Protest: Report

Two activists who attempted to stage a demonstration against the Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip were arrested in the Saudi capital on Thursday, a Saudi rights group said.

Human Rights First Society said that the two activists, Khalid al-Omeir and Mohammed al-Otaibi, were arrested by police as they arrived at the site of the planned protest in south Riyadh.

The arrests came a day after the interior ministry denied organizers permission to hold the rally on the grounds that demonstrations are banned in Saudi Arabia.

A member of the group also said that a prominent Saudi cleric who called for attacks on Israelis had also been arrested on Tuesday in the southern city of Abha.

On Monday police fired rubber bullets to break up rare protests involving hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Qatif and Safwa in the eastern part of the country. According to Human Rights First, 10 people were arrested in the Qatif protest

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. more on the Qatif & Safwa events, and news regarding Egyptian suppressions

Saudi police nabs Gaza supporters

Saudi security forces have launched a house-to-house search for the participants of a peaceful demonstration in support of Gaza.

Some 300 people wearing masks reportedly took to the streets of Qatif region's Safwa city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on Monday.

The demonstrators chanted slogans condemning the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and called on Arab governments to takes a firm stand against the US and Israel. The peaceful rally, however, turned violent once the riot police intervened to disperse the demonstrators.

Interior Ministry Spokesman Mansour al-Turki, however, has denied the report saying that there had been no demonstration in Qatif or any other region.

Egypt arrests 40 pro-Gaza demonstrators

Egyptian police have arrested at least 40 anti-Israeli protestors preparing to hold rallies in a show of support for the Palestinians in Gaza.

Security officials said those arrested were members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood who "were detained in Cairo and the provinces as they prepared to demonstrate after Friday prayers."

Egyptian riot police blocked the exits from the capital's al-Azhar mosque, beating and arresting demonstrators who were shouting slogans against Israel and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

The Brotherhood's leader, Mohammed Akef, had called the protests against the 7-day-long Israeli blitz which has killed at least 430 Palestinians and wounded some 2, 250 others.

Arab state governments have been clamping down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations despite international protests held across the world against the Israeli offensive.

On Friday, one Moroccan demonstrator died of injuries after clashing with riot police.

[High Plains]

2. This is going to cause problems for friendly Arab governments across the region.

The people are not as bought off as their leaders, hmmm, for some reason.

[The Magistrate]

3. Moderately Encouraging News, Sir

[Ken Burch]

4. Saudi Arabia's fascist "clerical" leaders don't like protests...big news

What message are we meant to take from this?

I do admire those who actually had the courage to ORGANIZE a human rights organization in Saudi Arabia. Those people have levels of strength none of us can even imagine.