Nimr’s execution has added fuel to a fire that still smolders between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It should be noted that the relationship between the two countries was completely broken when dictator Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait in 1991.
Ties remained severed after 2003 as many Iraqis viewed Saudi Arabia as a major troublemaker in Iraq. Nimr’s execution also intensified stances opposing Saudi Arabia in the region and in Iraq. It also placed Iraqi political and religious figures with a moderate point of view toward Saudi Arabia in a difficult position, and perhaps strengthened the extremists’ stance.
The demonstrations against Saudi Arabia in Iraq and the demands that the Saudi Embassy be shut may mean that the execution of Nimr has led to the rise of extreme voices against Saudi Arabia in Iraq.
As a result, Saudi Arabia must evaluate the vulnerable sectarian situation in the region so as not to provide extremists with excuses nor weaken the moderates who can hold dialogue and reach understandings that will serve the interests of the two countries and the region as a whole.
(Iraq-Saudi image via Shutterstock)
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