On Line: 10 May 2013 16:59
In Print: Saturday 11 May 2013
The shameless desecrations of the graves of two prominent Shia figures
in Syria and Jordan were the latest efforts by Salafists and Wahhabis to
foment discord in the Muslim world.
However, these groups are not the main source of the sectarian
disputes. It is actually their regional supporters who are always trying
to deepen the divisions because they believe such a situation will
allow them to maintain their grip on power and safeguard their
illegitimate and undemocratic governments.
The intensification of attacks by Salafists in Syria clearly shows that
they are receiving more economic and military support from the
governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. According to reliable estimates,
over 37,000 Salafists, from countries like Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan,
and Pakistan, are now in Syria and are reportedly receiving a monthly
wage of between $1500 and $4500 from Riyadh. The main objectives of the
plan to provide massive support to the rebels in Syria is to weaken the
resistance front and to undermine the growing influence of Shias in the
region. In other words, the Saudis are worried about the increasing
influence of countries like Iran, and with their massive support for
terrorists in Syria, they are engaging in a proxy war with Iran and its
regional allies.
The desecration of Shia sanctities in Syria and Jordan is a clear
manifestation of the Saudis’ concern about the rise of the Shias in the
region. The perpetrators of these evil acts have even promised to
desecrate other Shia holy sites. The next target may be Lebanon, where
terrorist cells have reportedly been activated over the past few months.
In addition, it is said that the anti-Syria front is planning to start a
new wave of operations against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from
the border area between Lebanon and Syria.
However, Saudi Arabia’s huge investment in training the Salafists and
Wahhabis will one day backfire, and the House of Saud will suffer the
most at the hands of these extremists. During the Cold War era, the
Saudis supported some groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan who were
fighting against the Soviet Union. This move later spawned new extremist
groups in these countries that are still major threats to the interests
of the Saudis and their Western allies in the region. But if the same
scenario plays out in Syria, the Saudis will be the main losers.
Hossein Ebrahimnia is a political analyst and an expert on politico-religious ideologies in the Middle East.
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