I AM Proud of what my Father Did: Sheikh Nimr’s Son

Sheikh Nimr’s son, Muhammad, in an interview with NPR said that he is proud of what his father has done.

Here are some highlights from that interview:

“I’m proud of what he did,” Muhammad al-Nimr said of his father’s outspoken criticism of the Saudi government. “We tried to make our sound heard in the world for like more than 100 years right now. But by his action, what he did made the whole world see what kind of government is Saudi Arabia government. They can’t face words, so they kill people.”

Muhammad al-Nimr asked about the Saudi government’s claim that his father was a terrorist. The government said that the cleric was armed when police arrested him.

“I just want to ask anyone who would claim that, anyone, to bring one proof — just one proof — that my father said a violent word against anyone,” Nimr said, adding: “He was shot four times when he was not armed. But ok, if he was armed, basically, why couldn’t they show the people that? Even though none of them got hurt. He was the only one who got hurt.”

Nimr said that he got news of his father’s execution while he was at home in his apartment. He said at first he was in shock but later felt what he described as relief.

“He was in solitary from 2012,” Nimr said of his father. “I knew that they’re not going to let him go. He was basically in, I can say a dungeon, he can’t even see the sun.”

On January 2, Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric and political activist Nimr al-Nimr, sparking outrage among Muslims worldwide.

Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr and 46 others for terrorism, the country’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. Most of those executed were said to be involved in a series of attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda between 2003 and 2006. 45 of those executed were of Saudi nationality, one Chadian, one Egyptian.

After the announcement, Sunni and Shiite Muslims from across the world rushed to condemn his execution, vowing revenge.