Aziza Abdullah had always regarded Saudi Arabia's Shia minority with suspicion and curiosity. Like many Saudis, she considered the Shia, primarily present in the oil-rich Eastern province, as potential traitors, loyal to their brethren in Iran and busy plotting against Sunni ...

He explained that citizenship means that all citizens are equal in rights, duties and opportunities regardless of their sects, tribes or affiliations. He confirmed that it is the best way for achieving political and social stability in a community with ethnic and religious diversity. Alsaffar, also, stressed the importance of focusing on developing the community

Dr. Tawfiq AlSaif, a prominent Shiite intellectual and a political thinker, demanded the Saudi government to adopt a "courageous resolution" that ends sectarian discrimination against Shiite citizens. In a recent political study that was published in the French Moyen-Orient magazine, Dr. AlSaif cleared ...

On Thursday, June 10th, 2010, Sheikh Dr. Sa'ad Abdullah AlBuraik visited Sheikh Hasan Alsaffar at his house in Qatif, East of Saudi Arabia. This meeting focused on joint cooperation between the citizens of one nation; Saudi Arabia, with acceptance to ...

Sheikh Faisal AlAwami had participated in the intellectual dialogue meeting which was organized by King AbdulAziz Center for National Dialogue in Riyadh on June 1st and 2nd, 2010, and which was entitled:"Identity and Globalization in the Saudi Intellectual Discourse". Three ...

Qatif Achievement Award, which is the idea of Sa'eed Alkhabbaz, a prominent social activist from Qatif, and which is sponsored by Saudi businessmen and public figures, is for honoring creative individuals in certain fields in Qatif's community. This initiative seeks encouraging people; especially the youth, in order to develop their talents and push

SAUDI ARABIA   The authorities used a wide range of repressive measures to suppress freedom of expression and other legitimate activities. Hundreds of people were arrested as suspected terrorists. Thousands of others arrested in the name of security in previous years remained ...

The honoring of two radical Salafi judges; Sheikh Salih Aldarweesh and Fu'ad Almajid who were recently transferred from Qatif's General Court, upset Qatif's community. This is because those judges were known for their sectarian verdicts during their judicial work in ...

Recently, Sheikh Fawzy AlSaif, a prominent Shiite religious leader, discussed the issue of Shiites' allegiance and affiliation which is occasionally raised. He said that it is claimed that Shiites' allegiance is not for their nations; but it is for their ...

In a response to some sectarian incitements over what is called the "Shiite Tide" or the "Persian Invasion" to Sunni-majority states, Dr. Mohammad S. AlAwwa, a well-known Egyptian intellectual and a member in the International Union for Muslim Scholars, denounced ...

On Sunday, May 9th, 2010, religious leaders participating in the Fifth Meeting for the World Association for AlAzhar Graduates in Cairo raised the issue of the Shiite tide in Gulf States, and confirmed the necessity of combating it as well ...

On Wednesday and Thursday, May 5th and 6th, 2010, Fawziah AlHani, Nasimah AlSadah, Bushra AlMuhana, Mariam AlEid, Su'ad AlMukhtar, Salma AlAali and Mona AlMaskeen, who are all member in the National Exchange Committee (NEC), visited Jeddah in the Western Province ...

Shiite citizens in Khobar appealed King Abdullah Al Saud to lift the ban on performing congregational prayers in their closed mosques, and release the detainees who were arrested because of performing congregational prayers in their houses. Shiites, in their appeal, wrote ...

Saudi authorities arrested on Monday a fourth Shia figure for breaching a ban on religious activities in Khobar, East of Saudi Arabia. Sources informed Rasid that forces from the Intelligence Administration arrested the English teacher Hassan Al-Makki (30 years) from his ...

On Friday, March 19th, 2010, Sheikh Hasan Alsaffar Office in Qatif held a celebration for the fifth year in a row to review the annual report of Sheikh Alsaffar's activities in 2009. The celebration was attended by huge numbers of ...

Following is a translation of a statement by Sayyed Mohammad Baqir AlNasir, a prominent Shiite religious leader in Khobar, east of Saudi Arabia, in response of closing four Shiite mosques by the order of the Governor of the Eastern Province. In ...

Saudi authorities arrested on Monday several Shia figures in Khobar for breaching a ban on practicing Shia religious activities. Sources informed Rasid that Hajj Abdullah Fahad Al-Makki (73 years), Hajj Mahdi Ahmed Al-Khudhair (64 years) and Hajj Hassan Saleh Al-Muhanna (45 ...

On Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010, Dr. AbdulAziz Khoujah, the Minister of Culture and Information (MOCI) in Saudi Arabia, inaugurated the fourth Riyadh International Book Fair, on behalf of King Abdullah bin AbdulAziz Al Saud. This event, which was attended by ...

Sheikh A'edh AlQarni, a prominent Saudi religious leader, called for forming "The Charter of Sectarian Coexistence" that prevents assaulting religious figures of different sects. He recommended King AbdulAziz Center for National Dialogue to adopt formulation of this charter with participation ...

About sixty thousand Shiite pilgrims from Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia came to Madinah this year to celebrate the anniversary of Prophet Mohammad Death and visit Islamic cities; especially Madinah, in large groups during religious occasions and school holidays. This ...