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The fire of Revolution grows brighter

by Courtesy

‘Saudi protests are growing weekly’

Saudi leaders have been trying to stay untouched by protests for democracy as week-by-week protests gain strength across the nation.

Press TV talks with Ali al-Ahmad, director of the Institute for (Persian) Gulf Affairs (IGA) in Washington about the daring progress of public protests against the ruling regime and the role Crown Prince Nayef is inadvertently playing in speeding up the spreading of protests. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: The protests are not limited now to the eastern region and there was a nationwide protest movement across Saudi Arabia. How do you see the spread of these protests?

Ali al-Ahmed: Like I said before, the protest is spreading across the country and every week it’s taking on a higher level. I think in the next few weeks we will see greater level of protests not only in the central region in addition to the eastern region, but this protest movement is going to go northward, southward, and even westward.

What you are seeing here is a slow build up to protests in the country because the people of Saudi Arabia are now convinced more than at any other time that the government is oppressing them and it’s a corrupt government that has no legitimacy. Legitimacy of the government is being reduced and at the same time the complaints and the protests by the people is on the increase.

Press TV: What about Prince Nayef, now that he’s the crown prince – What reaction do you respect from a regime with a history of not tolerating any, even small protests?

Ali al-Ahmed: The fact that Nayef now is basically in charge of the country and we’ve seen in the past few weeks his hard-handed treatment in the country against women; against minorities; against prisoners and protesters, we are seeing this heavy handed approach producing negative results for the government.

We have more people coming out and saying this is wrong; we are not accepting this person; his policy and it is maybe a mercy from God that Nayef was chosen as crown prince because he will hasten the protest movement and will speed up the loss of legitimacy of the Saudi monarchy.