Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening Ali Akbar Velayati has issued a statement on the occasion of the martyrdom of Sheikh Baqir Nimr al-Nimr which reads as follows:
In the name of God
‘And whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority’ (Quran, Surah al-Isra, Verse 33)
The testimony to the martyrdom of the leader of Islamic Awakening in eastern Saudi Arabia has been announced bringing about great regret and sadness to Muslims and freedom-loving people.
Sheikh Baqir Nimr al-Nimr was a pious, modest and popular cleric who defended the rights of the oppressed and rose against the authoritarian, reactionary and oppressor regime of Saudi Arabia in order to restore the lost right of Muslim in determining their fate and winning freedom from tyranny, oppression as well as unjust actions. He believed that the dictator regime of Saudi Arabia, instead of supporting true Muslims and believers, acts as an accomplice to the hegemonic policies of the US and the international Zionism in the region. He further believed that the Saudi government, rather than helping the Palestinian people and other nations, is seeking covert and overt cooperation with oppressors and infidels to attain domination over the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia suppresses and reacts to voices of the oppressed and justice with the worst and most difficult medieval practices of torture, harassment, detention, imprisonment as well as blind and irrational execution.
What crime had Sheikh al-Nimr committed? For what sin was he killed? The awareness and forward-looking approaches of Muslim nations cannot be blocked by knock-out and rough encounters and such measures would not put an end to the fight for virtue.
If the logic of suppression was practical, dictators all through history would have reached a satisfactory outcome. Hundreds of ‘al-Nimrs’ will rise from every drop of blood of Sheikh al-Nimr in order to shatter the root of tyranny and oppression. The blood of righteous, virtuous and honorable people not only will cause the scandal of the ruthless and tyrannical rulers of Al Saud, but also lead to awakening and growing awareness of the Islamic nations. Pharaoh killed the youth of the nation, Yazid slaughtered the children of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH), Saddam Hussein martyred great clerics and Iran’s Shah liquidated important figures but they all failed to continue to rule. The same issue holds true for the Saudi government where they cannot guarantee the survival of the state by such brutal actions. The Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has opined that a government might get away with disbelief but it would definitely fail to last with oppression. The brutal action of Saudi Arabia would merely accelerate the collapse of the dictator regime rather than ensuring its survival.
World Assembly of Islamic Awakening condemns the un-Islamic, inhuman and medieval action and condoles and congratulates over the martyrdom of the mystic, brave and tireless campaigner of the Islamic nation to all freedom-loving people across the globe wishes that God will bless the soul of Sheikh al-Nimr.
‘And they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back.’ (Qoran, Surah Al-Shuara, Verse-169)
Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati
Secretary General of World Assembly of Islamic Awakening
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