The Saudi military may have reportedly declared “victory” in the Shia town of Al-Awamiya but the online war among the Saudi people goes on.
The hashtag “Awamiya defeated” was trending on Twitter Wednesday as social media reports suggested that the battle waged by government troops on the eastern Saudi town had ended.
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Al-Awamiya in the Qatif region, which is home to Saudi’s Shia minority, had reportedly been under siege by state security forces since May.
The Sunni regime claims that they are fighting “terrorists” who are threatening security in the state. This account is disputed by residents in the town who instead report a brutal crackdown on protesters, which has seen much of the town destroyed.
Saudis responding to the hashtag praised their security forces for what they described as “protecting the homeland” and “conquering terrorism”.
صباح النصر في زمن #سلمان_الحزم
— فهد بن سعود (@Fhd_Bin_Saud) August 9, 2017
شكراً لـ #جنودنا_البواسل حماة الدين والوطن
#العوامية_تنتصر#المسوره_تنتصر pic.twitter.com/KynNq0mpcC
A victorious morning in the age of #Resolute_Salman Thank you to our soldiers, the protectors of religion and the homeland #Al-Awamiya_defeated #Al-Mosawarah_defeated
#العواميه_تنتصر
انتصارات العوامية وماحققة الأبطال
يجب ان يكون اهداء لهذا الأمير الذي خطط لقهر الارهاب وبنى صرح امني قوي
فله التحية pic.twitter.com/qGdVVcnSGv— سمان الهرج (@fahad33931) August 9, 2017
The victories of Awamiyah and what the heroes have achieved should be a tribute to this prince who planned to conquer terrorism and built a strong security edifice. Greetings to him.
#العواميه_تنتصر
— فوق مزاجك (@CIV_11) August 8, 2017
العوامية احد مدن السعودية تم تطهيرها وهنا ينتصر الدين والسلام ويسقط اذناب ايران وزبانيته pic.twitter.com/kdfmzhZUfD
Awamiyah, one of the cities of Saudi Arabia, has been purged. Religion and peace are victorious, the tails of Iran and its people fall.
However, the Twitter account “Angry Qatifi”, which has been documenting alleged regime abuses against Saudi’s Shia population, painted a very different picture of the “victory.”
Since SSSF troops are feignedly "victorious" they must show off and harass "Shia Infidels" entering mosques they destroyed. #Awamiasiege pic.twitter.com/m6zCW3Trgy
— Angry Qatifi (@AngryQatifi) August 9, 2017
SSSF first "achievement" in #Awamia is demolishing walls and killing "Shia Infidels" to retrieve the status lost aboard. #awamiasiege
— Angry Qatifi (@AngryQatifi) August 9, 2017
Yesterday afternoon (#Qatif local time) was what seems to be and end of SSSF battle in #Awamia. SSSF is happy and dancing! #awamiasiege pic.twitter.com/ccV82yiMaM
— Angry Qatifi (@AngryQatifi) August 9, 2017
An estimated 10-15% of Saudis are Shia, but they have long faced persecution in the fundamentalist Wahhabi-Sunni kingdom. Ibn Abdul-Wahhab, who alongside Muhammad bin Saud founded the first Saudi state, the Emirate of Diriyah, did not consider the Shia to be real Muslims.
A 2009 Human Rights Watch report documented institutionalized discrimination against Saudi's Shias.
