QATIF — News about clashes that take place in the Qatif region from time to time is worrisome, but visitors who come and meet with the people of the region has a different story to tell. Misconceptions fostered by acts of sabotage by a few close-minded individuals had such a huge negative impact that it tarnished the reputation of the predominantly Shiite population of the entire region. Al-Watan newspaper recently toured Qatif, Al-Qadaih and Al-Awamiya towns to investigate the ground realities and met with some wise men of the region. Despite being Shiites many of them were targeted by the saboteurs because they decided to stop some misguided teenagers from staging demonstrations that disturb public life. They emphasized their loyalty to the region and the country while speaking to Al-Watan. They urged the government to seriously deal with this bunch of unruly teenagers who have done great harm to their region. As has been the case with citizens all over the Kingdom, people in this region demand new development projects and jobs, among other relevant demands. At the house of a prominent resident of Al-Qadaih town, Al-Watan met with a group of intellectuals, thinkers and businessmen at a dinner party. The meeting was very cordial and touched on political, religious and geographic issues. They spoke about the late King Abdul Aziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and the future of the country. They unanimously agreed on the need for efforts to ensure security and stability in the country. While renewing their pledge of loyalty to Allah and to the rulers of the country, they stressed the importance of safeguarding the country's unity and integrity. When asked why they failed to stop the ruckus allegedly created by some Shiite citizens in Al-Awamiya, they said they used all means to stop the perpetrators but failed because of the chaotic situation created by this group that negatively affected their efforts. Asked about a solution to this problem, they said parents could not restrain some of these teenagers who went wild. They said the solution to the problem lies with the government. It should give more care to the region, which is strategically important because it is home to some of the country's major oilfields. They said the people in the region share the feeling that they are marginalized. Al-Watan pointed out that the country' leadership does not discriminate between regions or religious sects in the country. “The King called for a dialogue with the followers of all religions. And if this has been the case, then the priority will naturally be given to the dialogue among the followers of various Islamic schools of thought,” an Al-Watan reporter said. One of the participants said they had no problems in pursuing dialogue and the issue is not a matter of loyalty to the country, religion and the King. They spoke with great pain about those who questioned their loyalty or accused them of being stooges of foreign countries. Another added, “Why can't we just forgive sin, instead of demanding justice? Precisely I want to say burning properties and killing is not the way their voice is heard.” He has raised the issue of illiterate people who have been instigating users of social networking sites to widen the gap between the Sunni and Shiite factions. The wiser voices once again stressed the importance of resuming the national dialogue to remove the misconceptions instilled in the minds of the youth. About the demands of people of the region, they said, “We want the development projects to continue besides accelerated efforts to combat unemployment among our youth. All this should be done under the umbrella of the dialogue among the Islamic schools of thought. King Abdullah has called on scholars in the Kingdom to meet at King Abdul Aziz Library to discuss efforts for the preservation of the country's unity and security.”
