Thousands Shia muslims protest against Greater Sunni Arabia plan

[hellheaven1987]

Thousands of mainly Shia Bahrainis have protested outside the capital against a plan to create a union of Gulf Arab countries.

In Manama, the demonstration stretched for some three miles (5km), blocking a motorway.

The Saudi king's proposal to unite the six members of the Gulf Co-Operation Council was discussed this week.

The six members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

There were also protests against the move in Dubai and Iran, where Bahrain's ambassador was rebuked.

The planned union between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia - the first part of a broader union of the Gulf's six Arab monarchies - has triggered discord between Shia-dominated Iran and the Sunni rulers of Shia-majority Bahrain.

Source

And no doubt we saw "Tehran" in the article again. Either way, I am interesting about this Greater Sunni Arabia plan, why Saudi Arabia wants to push such diplo-annexation union with its neighbours? Is it because Saudi Arabia's paranoia towards Iran or its own anxiety that free Turks and Egyptians would one day push revolution into Arabs' throat?

[Blaze86420]

Never thought that I, a supporter of pan-Arabism, would oppose Arab unity so much.

[Exarch]

saudi oil is going to run out sometime this century and they need to gather as much power and ppl under their control if they want to be a viable middle eastern hegemon. Naturally, this goes against the natural order of things: namely that Persia is the master of the middle east and so shia muslims have been persecuted.

[white-wolf]

saudi oil is going to run out sometime this century and they need to gather as much power and ppl under their control if they want to be a viable middle eastern hegemon. Naturally, this goes against the natural order of things: namely that Persia is the master of the middle east and so shia muslims have been persecuted.

I would like to object the part "Persia is the master of ME". Though, they can dream.

[Babur]

I would like to object the part "Persia is the master of ME". Though, they can dream.

Turkey are the masters of the ME, after all much of it used to be theirs before the British exploited Pan-Arabism to defeat the Ottoman Empire.Pan-Arabists initially wanted this territory:

[glitch]

I would like to object the part "Persia is the master of ME". Though, they can dream.

and the Turks are?

[white-wolf]

and the Turks are?

They were.

[motiv-8]

Never thought that I, a supporter of pan-Arabism, would oppose Arab unity so much.

Yes, well that's because this is not what Nasser or any of his forebears had in mind.

What's interesting though is that at the same time this is going on, Ayman al-Zawahiri released a video calling for Saudis to rise up and overthrow the monarchy.

[The Noble Lord]

Never thought that I, a supporter of pan-Arabism, would oppose Arab unity so much.

I am all for Pan-Arabism and Arab unity, but the way it was propagated and intended by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party! The intended PGU between five members of the GCC is a good idea but they should've done it long time ago, now it seems to be done in order to marginalize the Shia population of Bahrain which is first and foremost Arab. It's a undeniable fact that Arab unity is coming and it's the only way to prevent the further splitting and bloodshed between the Arab brothers!

[Condottiere 40K]

I'm sure it would please the ghost of Lawrence. Though I suspect too much swallowing will likely end in indigestion.

[Exarch]

I'm sure it would please the ghost of Lawrence. Though I suspect too much swallowing will likely end in indigestion.

considering the fate of Lawrence at the hands of the turks, i had to resist making a double entendre about the swallowing part

[Rolling Thunder]

Gentlemen,

Arm the Turk.

[Prosaic Visitant]

In all honesty, I'm more afraid of the crazy Saudis than the Iranians right now.

Indeed; I wish it were SA that was the pariah with the sanctions.

Gentlemen,

Arm the Turk.

Don't forget the Berbers, Touregs, Kurds and other such peoples. Saudi Arabia is slimey and it will take as much power as possible to deal with them.

I would like to object the part "Persia is the master of ME". Though, they can dream.

Accept it; Turkey's time in the sun has passed. The future of the Middle-east is in the hands of the Iranians. And this is as it should be.

[Babur]

Consider Wahabi is a Sunni movement, it is not a surprise they would raid a Shia holy city.

I am sure the Saudis wouldn't mind doing that if they could

Accept it; Turkey's time in the sun has passed. The future of the Middle-east is in the hands of the Iranians. And this is as it should be.

They're guided by Ahura Mazda?

[Rolling Thunder]

Don't forget the Berbers, Touregs, Kurds and other such peoples. Saudi Arabia is slimey and it will take as much power as possible to deal with them.

The enemy of my enemy...

...is still a Kurd.

[Prosaic Visitant]

The enemy of my enemy...

...is still a Kurd.

Precisely, Shah Abbas I learned the valure of employing Kurds against your enemies.

[DarthLazy]

Since that is obviously bound to succeed !

[Burnum]

I would like to point out that despite having (mostly) the same language and religion, Arab cultures can be very different. It's one of the reasons that Egypt has so much trouble holding the Sinai, who have more in common with Saudi Arabia then Egypt or the Palestinians.

[Babur]

I would like to point out that despite having (mostly) the same language and religion, Arab cultures can be very different. It's one of the reasons that Egypt has so much trouble holding the Sinai, who have more in common with Saudi Arabia then Egypt or the Palestinians.

It was also a reason why Egypt had trouble in keeping Syria when both countries formed the United Arab Republic in 1958.

[Burnum]

It was also a reason why Egypt had trouble in keeping Syria when both countries formed the United Arab Republic in 1958.

Egypt had trouble keeping Syria because Nasser was power-hungry control freak, who refused to give the Syrians any power.