Saudi Opposition Meets in Damascus

Several opposition websites have published reports that a Saudi opposition group, the Islamic Reform Movement, has been holding meetings with students at the University of Damascus.



The United States-based opposition blog Thawra Community on October 24 reported that the Saudi group held meetings at the offices of unnamed student organisations on October 22.



Citing student sources, Thawra Community reported that the group attacked the Saudi royal family in the meetings, describing them as religiously and morally depraved. The group also accused the Saudi authorities of working against the Arab people and especially Syria by failing to support “resistance” movements.



The London-based opposition website Levant News reported that Syria has agreed to open an office for a satellite TV channel run by the Islamic Reform Movement.



Syrian dissident websites allege that the Syrian security services are protecting Saudi opposition movements and that Saudi dissidents are working with Syrian groups, particularly in Palestinian refugee camps.



According to Levant News, the Islamic Reform Movement is a fundamentalist group. Yet Syria’s Baath party has a history of clamping down on domestic Islamic movements



Levant News has close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Syria.