Saudi authorites detain founders of new party
The Associated Press
Friday, February 18, 2011; 10:33 AM
CAIRO -- Authorities in Saudi Arabia have detained
founding members of a new political party and told them they must withdraw
demands for political reform as a condition for their release, the party said
Friday.
The detainees refused to sign the pledge, said the
Umma Islamic Party, which was formed earlier this month by 10 university
professors, political activists and business people,
Political activity in oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which
follows strict Islamic rule, is severely restricted and all power rests in the
hands of the ruling family. The fledgling signs of political demands in Saudi
Arabia come at a time when pro-democracy protests against authoritarian
governments are sweeping the Arab world.
The Umma Islamic Party has urged the kingdom's rulers
to start a dialogue on reform, including improving the status of women.
In a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press, the
party said all founding members were arrested Wednesday.
One of the founders, Sheik Mohammed bin Ghanim
al-Qahtani, was quoted as saying he and the others did not commit a crime to
justify the arrest and that they were exercising legitimate political rights.
The arrests will only "increase the political
tension among the Saudi people who, like other Arab peoples, aspire to real
political reform based on their right to freely express their opinions, hold
political gatherings and elect their lawmakers," the statement said.
The party called on the government to release its
founding members.
From:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021802641.html
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