Nawar Fakhry Ezzi
Ramadan is the month of finding and cultivating love, peace and tranquility in ourselves and in our relationship with God as well as with other people. Thus, it was only befitting that we welcomed it in Saudi Arabia with the awareness campaign Ehna Al-Ahl (We are one family). Although the campaign’s focus is in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia where it was launched and implemented, its aim is to reach all regions of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries through media coverage and social media. Major shopping malls in the cities of Dammam, Dhahran, Al-Khobar and Qatif are hosting exhibitions, which include distributing brochures and gifts, holding competitions and performing songs and plays for a daily average of 3,000 visitors starting from May 28 and scheduled to last for four weeks. All the activities focus on enhancing national cohesion, renouncing extremism and divisions, building bridges of trust between people of the region who come from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, emphasizing nationalism over any ethnic or sectarian differences, and promoting respectful and productive dialogue.
The campaign's objective is to reinforce the unity which many Saudis felt even more in response to our enemies’ attempts to divide us. Our unity was immediately manifested last year when a group of Sunni went to a Shia mosque in Qatif where Sunni and Shia performed the Friday prayer together after attacks by Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) on several Shia mosques in the Eastern Province. The campaign also acknowledges the possibility of some mixed feelings, which might have risen in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in addition to the escalating tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which has taken its toll on the whole Gulf region, not only Saudi Arabia.
Such campaigns and initiatives are wonderful methods to increase people’s awareness and remind them of how their differences strengthen them as a nation united by their love and loyalty to this land. However, in order to truly appreciate our differences, we need also to learn more about them. For example, teaching our children at home and at schools about our united and common history as Saudis could also be supplemented by learning about the unique heritage and history of every region. Moreover, Saudi Arabia is rich in history and archeology, which can be further utilized by encouraging internal tourism where people can actually experience first-hand a different region of their country. This could further enhance national cohesion and make the people of each region feel equally appreciated and valued.
For example, the Eastern Province is mostly associated with oil and recently as the target of terrorist attacks, yet many people forget the historical and archeological significance of its two oases of Qatif and Al-Ahsa. It is estimated that they were founded more than 6,000 years ago which has allowed them to witness numerous civilizations, such as Caledonian, Phoenician, Sumerian, Portuguese, Banu Abdul Qais and the Ottomans. One of the most famous places is Tarut island one of the oldest inhabited areas of the Arabian Gulf. Tarut castle and fortress, which was built in the 16th century, is one of the many places one can visit in the region. These are a few examples of the many amazing things that all Saudis are proud to be a part of, not to mention the other historical and even prehistorical sites that are scattered all over the Kingdom.
The emergence of different sects is the natural evolution of religious development, but the important thing is to acknowledge the eligibility of these differences in order to be able to understand, respect and appreciate those differences. We also have to always remember that our sects, as important as they are to us, do not define us; we are Saudis who are Sunni and Shia, not Sunni and Shia who are Saudis. As with all families, Saudis may quarrel and get upset with each other from time to time, but at the end of the day, we always come back together because "we are one family".
The writer can be reached at nawar81@hotmail.com
