By: Azhari Setiawan, Postgraduate Program of International Relations Department UI

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry says it has executed 47 "terrorists", including Shia religious leader (Ulama’) Nimr al-Nimr and a convicted al-Qaeda leader Faris al-Zahrani. In a press statement read out on state TV on 2 January, the Saudi ministry listed the names of all those already convicted on charges of terrorism. The death sentence given to Nimr al-Nimr, who led anti-government protests in the country's east, was confirmed by the Supreme Court in October 2015. He was convicted of sedition, disobedience and bearing arms. Nimr did not deny the political charges against him, but he said that he had never carried weapons or called for violence.

Many of the other men executed had been linked to attacks in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006, blamed on al-Qaeda. Zahrani, described by Saudi media as al-Qaeda's top religious leader in the kingdom, was one of them. The executions led to protests in a number of countries on Saturday, including Iran - where demonstrators broke into the Saudi embassy and started fires. In Tehran on Saturday night (January 2, 2016), demonstrators stormed the Saudi Embassy and threw Molotov cocktails at it, setting parts of it ablaze.

Following the sacking of a Saudi embassy in Iran, Saudi Arabia has severed ties with Iran and expelled its diplomats. Tensions are running high, with apocalyptic rhetoric on all sides. According to Aljazeera, Saudi Arabia via the Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeirhas announced on 3 January 2016 that it is severing diplomatic ties with Iran following Saturday's attack on its embassy in Tehran during protests against executions in the kingdom. Meanwhile, the foreign ministry said it was asking Iranian diplomatic mission to leave the kingdom within 48 hours. The ministry also announced that the staff of its diplomatic mission had been evacuated and were on their way back to the kingdom.

Regarding to these situation, there are several points that we can learn. First, this execution surely has escalated the sectarian conflict in Middle East that might spread to Indonesia since Shia also has a place in Indonesia. Theexecution on 2 January 2016 of Saudi Shiite cleric and political activist Nimr al-Nimr has escalated sectarian hostilities in the Middle East to dangerous new levels.

We have to be fair to see the conflict and both countries jurisprudence itself. The protests didn’t see another reality that Iran also had executed even almost 1000 people including Sunnis Ulama’ along 2015, with same lawsuits; sedition, disobedience and bearing arms. Data from Amnesty International states that in July 2015, the number of death sentences toward Sunnis (preachers, activists, etc) even had exceeded 1000. In the name of sectarianism, Syria (Assad Regime) had also executed hundred thousand Sunnis (came from protesters, preachers, activists, etc). This (Saudi execution) can’t be compared to the numbers of execution in Iran and Syria, which is representing Shia as majority power. This is a conflict between states not sects.

Second, Indonesia doesn’t have to feel that we have a responsibility or need to intervene to this Saudi-Iran conflict. Indonesia only need to focus on its Muslims citizen particularly the relation between both Sunni and Shia. I also regret the Indonesians protests that urge Indonesian Government to sever diplomatic relations toward Saudi. These “childish and illogical” protests came from “Human Right Alliance” and “Aliansi Anti Perang(Anti-war Alliance)”. Actually, if we (Indonesia) really uphold Human Right, we should also protest to Iran, Syria, Russia and also United States as well as countries that have caused the catastrophe in humanity. We cannot close our eyes to the other reality. There are hundred thousand victims in Syria and another thousand Sunni executions in Iran, yet “Human Right Alliance” has never voiced any protest and also there ihas never been any insistence toward Indonesian Government to sever diplomatic relation toward those countries because we all know that Indonesia still needs those countries, and also Saudi. Cutting off diplomatic relations is to reckless and illogical for Indonesia. I don’t see any vision that Indonesians pilgrimages (Jama’ah Haji) will change their ka’bah to Teheran. I personally condemn the double standard of Human Right implementation in Indonesia.

Third, how about the Sunni and the Shia relations in Indonesia post Saudi’s execution? Except the protests from Pro-Shia movement in Indonesia and some debates in Social Media, there is no threatening or serious conflict occurred yet, between Indonesian Sunni and Shia in some Indonesian regions—where Shia community exists within it—since the Saudi’s execution. We know that this would escalate the sectarian conflict in Middle East but it is also would occur in Indonesia if the Government still doesn’t assert the law enforcement about religion and the sectarianism within it.  We need assertiveness at least to identify each religion or sect position in the country.

Indeed, there is a gap between Sunni and Shia.It is not merely permeated from differences in interpreting the history of early Islam (especially on the issue of succession after the Prophet Muhammad passed away) but, it has touched the “Aqidah” area. Sunni and Shia has a huge different in some fundamental aspects such as the “rukun islam” and “rukun iman” for example.

Fundamental problems need fundamental action and strategic policy too. I will neither talk deeplyabout the “aqidah” matters, nor urge the government to support certain side. We need to urge our government to be assertive on implementing the law enforcement about religion in Indonesia at least by giving an official statement and/or rule of law about Shia position in Indonesia as a national law considered by our constitution (UUD 1945), history of Islam in Indonesia, and also the role of authoritative Indonesian Muslim scholars. This is the duty of the state to create objectivity and stability for all citizens within the country. This is the best that Indonesia can do.