Time for regime change in Arabia after Khashoggi savage murder

Calls are mounting for regime change in Saudi Arabia following the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Many senior politicians, including Americans, have given hope of any possibility to reform the Saudi regime and that time has come for it to go. Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), widely believed to be behind the crime, is particularly vulnerable and many insist that he must go. While MBS’s role in Khashoggi’s murder has been widely mentioned, his involvement in other murders has not been exposed. He is responsible for killing under-aged Ali Al Ribh and Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr. He was preparing to kill Mrs Israa Al Ghagham for her human rights work, Sheikh Farhan Al Maliki, Sheikh Salman Al Awdah and others for their opinions.

The Saudis have never  been so much squeezed morally and politically as they have been in the past two weeks. The true nature of the regime ruling over the Arabian peninsula has been exposed to the Western world which has been largely been misinformed by its politicians and media. The crime that the Saudis have just committed by using diplomatic premises to kidnap, murder, dismember and hide the prominent journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, could not have been anticipated even by those capable of wild imaginations. They have united the world, including their staunchest allies, in expressing disgust, condemnation and disbelief. But the truth would eventually come out and their criminal record would be laid bare for all to see. Since 2014 the Saudis executed and beheaded at least 640 people, according to Reprieve. These do not include those murdered in cold blood in the Eastern Province or the 30,000 Yemenis butchered in their 42 months aggression on that country. The facts presented so far, including those obtained by the Turks when they inspected the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, the American president in his call to the Saudi king and his secretary of state in his visit to Riyadh and the information that the victim’s fiancé, Khadija Cengaze, confirm that the Saudis had kidnapped Mr Khashoggi, interrogated him before cutting his body to pieces.

For the first time in recent memory major international companies have decided to boycott a Saudi conference, known as “Davos in the desert,” organized by MBS. These include: JP Morgan (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon and the heads of America’s top investment firms — Blackrock (BLK) and Blackstone . Top executives at Ford (F) and MasterCard (MA) have also pulled out, and Google (GOOGL) said Tuesday that the head of its cloud computing business wouldn’t participate in the event either. Three of Europe’s top bankers — the CEOs of HSBC (HSBC), Credit Suisse (CS) and Standard Chartered (SCBFF) — pulled out on Tuesday. The heads of the International Monetary Fund and the London Stock Exchange (LNSTY) also decided not to go. They were joined Wednesday by the chairman of BNP Paribas (BNPQY), France’s biggest bank.Meanwhile the UN Human Rights chief, Michelle Pachelet has urged Saudi Arabia and Turkey to reveal everything they know about the disappearance and possible extra-judicial killing of Khashoggi.

Instead of heeding the calls to change its behaviour in the light of the Saudi debacle, Alkhalifa regime in Bahrain has acted, as usual, with arrogance and defiance.  In pursuance of their religious and sectarian war on the native majority, Alkhalifa mercenaries detained the popular orator, Mahdi Sahwan for chanting religious lyrics that the regime would not approve of. Mr Sahwan has spent large part of his life languishing in jails for his religious lamentations and orations. Last year he spent six months at regime’s torture dungeons following the bloody attack on the house of the most senior religious scholar, Sheikh Isa Qassim.

In the early hours of Sunday 14th October, regime’s mercenaries raided several houses in towns and villages. From Karranah they detained Mohammad Hussain, from Al Maqsha they arrested Hussain Ali Eid and Isa Mohammad Al Ma’tooq from Duraz. On Sunday 14th October, their court ordered the detention of native Bahraini, Hassan Al Sharqi for 15 days following his arrest at Karranah Town two days earlier. Two students were detained by Alkhalifa regime on Saturday: Salman Mohammad Salman, 17 and Ahmad Ibrahim Salman, 16 in a  house raid. On Monday 15th October the regime’s appeal court set 4th November for a verdict against the leader of Alwefaq Shiekh Ali Salman in what has become known as the Qatar spying case.  The public prosecution appealed an acquittal decision in June 2018.  The US State Department called for his release. The feeling of defeat may push Bahrain’s dictator (the equivalent of MBS in his criminal behaviour) to try to save his skin by ordering the release of Sheikh Ali Salman.

A senior religious figure has passed away leaving a country in constant turmoil. Sheikh Abdul Hussain Al Sitri was a prominent scholar who stood by the people and pushed for political reform. With other senior scholars, including Sheikh Isa Qassim, who is receiving medical treatment in London, he signed statements of political and religious nature. He also led prayers for the souls of martyrs in his hometown of Sitra. Memorial service and Quranic session will be held tonight in London.

Bahrain Freedom Movement

17th October 2018 (info@vob.org, www.vob.org)