khalil ali haydar
Is Saudi Arabia, through its friendship with the United States and the West, more important for the safety of Shias in the region or the Islamic Republic of Iran, which cries day and night — “Death to America”?
Isn’t it better for Shias to gain the trust of Saudi Arabia rather than being against it, and avoid falling into the trap of sectarianism, where the millstone between Iran and Saudi Arabia might possibly crush them?
Few Shias are aware that Saudi Arabia is actually far more important in this field than Iran, since Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States ensure sectarian tolerance and higher standard of living for Shias, unlike the adventurous Iranian politics.
The Shias’ standard of living, their interests, stability, even real estate and trade and all that is worth defending are strongly linked to the continuity of the influence of the GCC countries led by Saudi, whatever the details may be.
Saudi Arabia’s stability and its ability to prevent the encroachment of terrorism and unrest in the region is an urgent necessity. If Saudi Arabia relapses all of us will pay the price, and especially the Shias.
Iran turned upside down when the monarchy fell and a new system came into place with new forces and laws. This didn’t upset living conditions in Kuwait and the Gulf region. However, the new regime caused deterioration of the financial and economic situation of Iranian Shias.
At the time, the Iranian currency depreciated and confidence in many aspects of the Iranian people’s lives evaporated, while wealth and properties of the Gulf’s Shias remained intact, in such a way that the impact of Kuwait’s Almanakh financial market crisis in the eighties was worse than the Iranian revolution.
The Gulf’s richness and stability is due to political rationality than the ability to take risks. Such an environment protects minorities and provides them opportunities and prosperity to take advantage of. This stability is defended by Western countries in this region, hence the confluence of interests.
On the other hand, the Iranian Republic is a major neighbour and a regional state with indisputable significance, having extended Gulf coasts. Therefore, its friendship is very important, especially to Kuwait.
However, Iran’s Islamic regime is very different than the GCC systems.
A difference that has nothing to do with doctrine, poverty and riches, as it is based on the revolutionary tendencies, radicalism and secrecy of the system. The Iranian regime’s movements through its internal and external policies, its ideological religious experience, and history are unusual, such that Iran’s neighbours are worried about it and its slogans, not because it is Shia.
If Saudi Arabia loses the battle and extremist and terrorist militias dominate the region, then say goodbye to peace, stability, sectarian tolerance, constitutional life and everything else.
Shias have no interest in being anti-Saudi, finding solutions to their problems by glorifying Iran, providing free services to the sectarian conflict, or adding a sectarian character to it.
The forces of intolerance and sectarian mobilisation, which plays with the fate, interests and stability of the Gulf region’s Shias, will bring us the same disasters that befell those before us in many different locations, under such slogans as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” However, it seems we are the only ones dying.
The writer is a columnist and researcher.
The Peninsula
