Middle East Focus: Forgotten Arabs: Africa’s Sambi Denies Saudi “Accusations” of Shi’ism…….

Arabia Deserta

Forgotten Arabs: Africa’s Sambi Denies Saudi “Accusations” of Shi’ism…….

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF

جزر القمر
I had forgotten that the Comoros (Union of Comoros Islands) are a member of the Arab League. Most people, almost all Arabs, don't even know that, except maybe for some Arab League bureaucrats. Most Arabs also apparently prefer to forget that Somalia is an Arab country as well. Djibouti is an Arab state as well, at least officially. So is Bahrain and Iraq, even southern and northern Iraq are in the Arab league, in case Saudi media reports otherwise. Anyway, here is what I wrote a year ago:

" Alarabiya TV (semi-official Saudi network operated by the son of the late King Fahd)) had an interesting interview with the president of the Union of Comoros Islands (off the African coast in the Indian Ocean). You never see this guy on Larry King or Fareed Zakaria, or even as a guest on The View.
Mr. Abdullah Sambi denied charges leveled at him by many Saudi Wahhabi shaikhs and some of their media that he has converted to Shi’ism. He did admit, however, that they used to call him the Ayatollah of the Comoros, but that was before he became president (I guess that would be as insulting as calling him the king or prince of the Comoros in Iran). He insisted that the Iranian presence in his country is limited to charities, hospitals, and training institutions.
Abdullah Sambi was upset because Saudi media has focused on some years he spent in Iran, while ignoring his years of study in Saudi Arabia. It is not clear what he studied over there since Saudis send everybody overseas to study, except Islamic Shari’a students because they don’t want them studying Catholicism or Episcopalianism or Judaism or, even worse, Shi’ism (do I hear a collective royal gasp?).
He also said that the Comoros is the poorest Arab country (yes, it is a member of the Arab League, as is Somalia, but Afghanistan has not applied for membership yet). Overall, I thought President Sambi acquitted himself well, giving a good interview, and heaping contempt on all the unfair Wahhabi charges that he has become a heretical Shi’a (Shi’ite) that is worse in Wahhabi eyes than a Hijazi skunk (if’n they have them over there). "
Cheers
mhg

Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com