Groups urge UAE to probe Ben Ali, Mubarak cash
DUBAI, March 22 (Reuters) – Anti-corruption groups have
asked authorities in the United Arab Emirates to take action
over possible transfer of assets here by fallen Arab rulers and
their loyalists, seeking a haven after uprisings.
International anti-graft body Transparency International and
rights group Sherpa this month asked the UAE central bank’s
Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Units (AMLSCU) to
identify any funds connected to Tunisian president Zine
al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family.
Shots heard at Saudi protest dispersed by police
DUBAI (Reuters) – Shots were heard when Saudi police dispersed a demonstration by Shi’ite protesters in the oil-producing Eastern province on Thursday, the eve of a round of demonstrations in the region against its political leaders.
One witness said police fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd of around 200 people from the Shi’ite minority. Another witness and a Shi’ite activist said shots were fired.
Surge in Arab protests expected on Friday in Gulf
DUBAI (Reuters) – Arab uprisings that have spread to the conservative Gulf region face a crucial test this week in Saudi Arabia where activists have made unprecedented calls for mass protests against the kingdom’s absolute monarchy.
Gulf leaders are struggling to hold back an Internet-era generation of Arabs who appear less inclined to accept arguments appealing to religion and tradition to explain why ordinary citizens should be shut out of decision-making.
Saudi says protests don’t fit Islamic state
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s ruling family has mobilised the power of its conservative religious establishment to prevent a wave of uprisings against Arab autocrats from roaring into its kingdom, home to more than a fifth of the world’s known oil reserves.
Whether these traditional tactics will work with a young population that grew up in the information revolution age, with the ability to use the internet to organise and spread awareness of ideas of universal rights to political participation, is still to be tested.
Saudi insists protests not Islamic, Facebook group calls for demos
(Saudi Shi'ites protest for the release of prisoners they say are being held without trial, March 3, 2011/Zaki Ghawas )
Saudi Arabia’s ruling family has mobilised the power of its conservative religious establishment to prevent a wave of uprisings against Arab autocrats from roaring into its kingdom, home to more than a fifth of the world’s known oil reserves. Whether these traditional tactics will work with a young population that grew up in the information revolution age, with the ability to use the internet to organise and spread awareness of ideas of universal rights to political participation, is still to be tested.
Analysis: Saudi rulers say protests don’t fit the Islamic state
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s ruling family has mobilized the power of its conservative religious establishment to prevent a wave of uprisings against Arab autocrats from roaring into its kingdom, home to more than a fifth of the world’s known oil reserves.
Whether these traditional tactics will work with a young population that grew up in the information revolution age, with the ability to use the internet to organize and spread awareness of ideas of universal rights to political participation, is still to be tested.
Saudi clerics condemn protests as un-Islamic
(Supporters of Saudi Shi'ite cleric Tawfiq al-Amir hold his pictures during a demonstration following his release in Al-Ahsa March 6, 2011. Cleric Tawfiq al-Amir was arrested last week after calling for a constitutional monarchy and a fight against corruption/Stringer)
Saudi Arabia’s council of senior clerics has issued a statement forbidding as un-Islamic the public protests, which the rulers of the U.S. ally and key oil exporter fear could spread following demonstrations by minority Shi’ites. The kingdom has escaped major protests like those which toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, but the wave of unrest has reached its neighbours Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman.
Saudi Arabia detains Shi’ites as clerics ban protests
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi security forces have detained at least 22 minority Shi’ites who protested last week against discrimination, activists said on Sunday, as the kingdom tried to keep the wave of Arab unrest outside its borders.
Saudi Shi’ites have staged small demonstrations in the Eastern Province, which holds much of the oil wealth of the world’s top crude exporter.
Saudi Arabia detains 22 Shi’ites: activists
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi security forces have detained at least 22 minority Shi’ites who protested last week against discrimination, activists said on Sunday, as the kingdom tried to keep the wave of Arab unrest outside its borders.
Saudi Shi’ites have staged small demonstrations in the Eastern Province, which holds much of the oil wealth of the world’s top crude exporter.
Egypt antiquities boss under fire over thefts, jobs
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s antiquities chief Zahi Hawass defended himself Wednesday from a wave of criticism over looting at the Egyptian Museum during the revolution last month and accusations of corruption in his ministry.
Hawass initially played down reports of theft from the museum, home to priceless treasures from Pharaonic Egypt, after security forces clashed on January 28 with millions of Egyptians who eventually succeeded in ousting President Hosni Mubarak.
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