Exposing the Targeting of Syrians in Saudi Arabia: Unraveling the Motives Behind Systematic Demonization
Watan-Saudi followers, seemingly close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, exploited the Saudi authorities’ arrest of 19 Syrians in the kingdom on charges of driving in a convoy, disrupting traffic, documenting it, and publishing it.
The official General Security account on the “X” platform posted: “Riyadh Region Police apprehend (19) individuals of Syrian nationality for driving their vehicles in an unauthorized gathering in a convoy, obstructing traffic, documenting it, and publishing it.”
Social media users circulated images of those detained and another image believed to be from the convoy, which seemed to have been shared on social media platforms and led to the arrest of those responsible for disrupting traffic in the kingdom’s streets.
Bin Salman’s followers describe Syrians as barbarians!
Despite the responsibility of only 19 Syrians, Bin Salman’s followers, in a policy of tightening on all Syrians, whether legal or illegal, spread racist comments “overlooked by the authorities in the kingdom” describing Syrians as barbarians and calling for their deportation.
In this context, “Ali bin Jaber” commented on the “X” platform, describing Syrians as barbarians, tweeting: “Deport them and our country will be safe,” while Abdullah Al-Sulaiman called for the deportation of all Syrians from the kingdom, saying: “May you be strong, and may deportation come to them and their ilk.”
🎥 | شرطة منطقة الرياض تقبض على (19) شخصًا من الجنسية السورية لسيرهم بمركباتهم في تجمع غير نظامي في موكب وعرقلة الحركة المرورية وتوثيق ذلك ونشره. pic.twitter.com/MmPyQ0UWcr
— الأمن العام (@security_gov) February 6, 2024
Others criticized the kingdom’s granting of “visit visas” to Syrians and called for their cancellation and review, including Abu Amer who wrote: “The visit visa has not brought any good to the country.”
Another hinted with skeptical comments about the suffering of Syrians, saying: “It’s strange that a Syrian comes here as a job seeker, and some of them come as managers and others, but their cars don’t indicate this, what’s the secret?”
This comes as Saudi Arabia fully restores its relations with the Assad regime, with the Syrian regime awaiting the arrival of the Acting Saudi Embassy Charge d’Affaires, Abdullah Al-Huraisi, to become the first accredited Saudi diplomat to Syria since the severance of relations between the two countries in 2012.
This raises fears of coordination with the regime and the deportation of Syrians to its intelligence and security branches, threatening the lives of thousands of opposition figures in the kingdom.
