Voldemort
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 13
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 Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject: More on Al Yamamah |
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Saudi Islamists Reportedly Disrupt Performance of Play on Extremism in Riyadh
BBC Monitoring Middle East
Nov 29, 11:21 AM
Text of report by Elaph website on 28 November
A Saudi security man pulled out a pistol from the holster of a colleague and fired two warning shots in the direction of the ceiling of the Al-Yamamah College Theatre north of the capital of Riyadh to impose law and order. This incident followed an attempt by Islamic extremists to use force to stop the performance of the play "Wasati bila wasatiyah," [moderate without moderation], which addresses one of the most complex issues facing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, namely, the ideological extremism and the conflict between the forces of liberalization and the conservative forces, a conflict that has dominated the domestic scene for the past three years.
Speaking to Elaph a few hours after the incident, well-informed sources said that the Saudi security agencies identified approximately 22 rioters, including preacher Muhammad al-Farraj, and vowed to pursue the other rioters to bring them to justice within the next few hours. These sources said that the number of rioters is likely to increase after the security agencies requested the Al- Yamamah College staff members to hand video tapes of the cultural lectures delivered yesterday, Sunday, and Monday, to identify all those involved in the riot.
According to available details on that eventful evening in Riyadh, groups of Islamic extremists arrived early at the Al- Yamamah College Theatre, which was organizing a cultural week, occupying the front seats before the play began. When the lights were turned off to begin the performance of the play, the audience were surprised by shouts of God is great. When the lights were turned on again, the audience found out that the stage was occupied and the decorations smashed amidst zealous shouts by bearded men.
Saudi security men on hand, who were without reinforcements worth mentioning during the first minutes after the incident, ejected some of the tens of rioters from the hall. The dean of the Al-Yamamah College then announced the suspension of the play, prompting some in the hall to again shout, God is great and other enthusiastic religions slogans. However, one of the actors, Habib al-Habib, insisted on returning to the stage to greet his audience. As he was about to engage in scuffles with five extremists, he was taken away.
Some nine college students, who worked as volunteers in the cultural week programmes organized by their college, were injured in the attacks by Islamic extremists. Some of them were taken [to hospital] in ambulances. Saudi intellectuals described the incident as "assault against the state's prestige and its security institutions assigned the task of keeping law and order."
After about 40 minutes of the incident, well over 50 security men arrived at the scene and encircled the Al-Yamamah College compound, preventing anyone from leaving or entering. They arrested more than 17 persons suspected of involvement in the assault on the theatre and the intellectuals taking part in the seminar organized by the college. According to an eyewitness, one of the Islamic extremists had a gun.
This assault, the most violent in the history of the cultural activities of the conservative Saudi Kingdom, follows another infamous incident against Al-Ghadhami at the Riyadh International Book fair early last year. In that incident, major security reinforcements prevented Islamic extremists from shouting verbal abuses at the guests attending the lectures delivered on the sidelines of the book fair, which enjoyed considerable freedom from the state. |
http://www.iland.net/inews/story.php?storyid=974297&class=terrorism |
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