Date: 22/08/1997

No   : 70/H/97

Save the Scholars of Islam from the Saudi Capture!

It is clear that the Saudi authorities are resolute to carry out its serious policy to empty the country from the religious scholars who are not connected to its religious establishment and do not support its rule which is against the desires of people.Those scholars who are working seriously to face the western corruption and culture, and they try to connect people with their religion.

In the early of this week, the Saudi authorities arrested one of the most prominent scholars in the Eastern province.  (Hojetoleslam Sayyid Mohammad Reza Sayyid Abdullah al-Mosawi) , a 36 – year – old, from al-Mubbarraz town in Ihssa.

 It is worth mentioning that Sayyid al-Mosawi has come back recently from Iran where he was pursuing his high Islamic studies in its theological school in Qom city as well as teaching.

It is notable that the Saudi regime does not allow Shi`a adherents to build religious schools and institutes and it does not allow them to travel abroad to pursue their studies as well. So anyone who goes abroad for this purpose is punished and detained for many years and his passport is confiscated, he is then not allowed to leave the country for years.

The punishments which are imposed  are contrary to Islamic Shari`a and human rights treaties.

Also , on the last few days, the authorities launched a wave of arrests against the people of Ihsaa and Qatif. One of those people was arrested at a check – point of the Saudi Kuwaiti frontier due to a religious tape recording found in his possession.

One of the former detainees who have been released lately reported our Committee that the General Investigations (al-Mabahith al-`Amma) exercised harassment and pressure to join them as agents in order to bring information about people particularly the dissents, for that, the security officials presented moneyed incitations to some of them exploiting the unemployment among the young generation. The Regime tried through these measures to sow the mistrust among the people.