How Many of us aware of this EVENT

graceful · Post by **graceful** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:29 pm

Saudi Arabia frees 17 Ismailis

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday freed 17 political inmates from the Ismaili community, who had been jailed since 2000, in a new sign of easing tensions with the minority group based near the Yemen border, sources said.

King Abdullah ordered the release of the predominantly young Ismailis about six months before the end of their 10-year jail sentence as part of a broader royal pardon for hundreds of inmates in the kingdom to mark the start of the month of Ramazan, the sources said.

“The 17 Ismailis were released this afternoon,” a source at the governorate of the southern Najran province told Reuters. “The order to release them came on Sunday,” he said.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said any comment should come from the royal court. Reuters was unable to contact the court. Mohammad al-Askar, a leading Ismaili activist, said the move put an end to “one of the most sensitive issues” that had been irritating the minority group. “One of the 17 inmates called me early this morning to say that he and the other 16 were asked by prison authorities to sign a pledge not to participate again in protests and unrest before they get released,” Askar said.

The 17 male prisoners had initially been sentenced to death by public beheading in 2001 under the reign of King Fahd before the de facto ruler King Abdullah — who was then crown prince — commuted in 2002 the sentences to 10 years in prison.

The prisoners were arrested after a meeting in 2000 with the then governor of Najran province, a royal disliked by Saudi Ismailis, to ask for the release of an Ismaili teacher, ended in clashes that left two civilians injured.

“This is the news of the year (for Ismailis). It shows how the government mentality has begun to change under the new (Najran) governor,” said Askar.

-Daily NEWS Karachi [Aug 25,2009]

Biryani · Post by **Biryani** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:55 pm

That sounds like a fair deal for violent protest/unrest against the Saudi Govt…comparing with getting the heads off…this king is probably not so sadistic as king fart.

kmaherali · Post by **kmaherali** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:25 pm

Interesting, there have been articles on the relationship between the Shia's and the mainstrean Sunnis in Saudi Arabia at:

Current Issues --> Pluralism in Islamic Ummah

http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... c&start=30