Saudi Arabia: Shia Minority Treated as Second-Class Citizens Vanida Chithtamath 9:53pm

Vanida Chithtamath
Sept. 25, 2008
9:53pm

Wahhabi Authorities Discriminate Against Ismaili Citizens

In the London newspaper released on Sept. 22, 2008, reported that the Saudi government should end its discrimination of the Ismaili religious group who are being treated as second-class citizen. In the 90 page report, "The Ismailis of Narjan: Second-Class Saudi Citizens", over 150 interviews of Ismailis have said they have been discrimnated by the Saudi government. They have been refused in the areas of government employment, education, religious freedom, and the justice system. At least several hundred thousand, and as many as 1 million, Ismailis live in Saudi Arabia, part of the Shia minority in the Sunni-dominated country of 28 million. The Ismailis tend to live on the border of Yamen, in Najran providence. Tension has been rising eversince the mid 1990s. Saudi Arabia conquered Najran following a brief war with Yemen in 1934, incorporating into the kingdom the local Sulaimani Ismailis, one strand of Ismaili belief. Najran has been home to the highest Sulaimani Ismaili cleric, the Absolute Guide, since the 17th century. There are so many instances where the Ismaili should have more representation in government offices but they are denied by the Saudi. The Human Rights Watch is urging the goverment to look beyong their religion and see them as citizens and allow them a voice. “State-sponsored and officially tolerated discrimination against the Ismailis of Najran seriously threatens their identity and denies them basic rights,” Stork said. “The authorities are shutting them out from education, government employment, and professions.” Stork who is the deputy director in the middle east watching over human rights, really hopes that the 2008 religious conference held in Spain will be a starting point for the Saudi to reform their ways towards the Ismailis.

After reading the history on both sides, I do hope that the Saudi Arabian government will loosen up their restraint upon the Ismailis. This is a deeper matter that just discrimnation and become so caught up in the religious aspect which is very important in the middle east. I don't know how this issue will be resolved but I do hope that the religious conference can bring everyone together and realize that equal human rights is the best path to chose and then we can worry about where the line ends or begins and separation of state/religion.


http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/09/22/saudia19804.htm