And despite the imam’s government continuing to raise the grievance of the Tanomah martyrs in bilateral meetings, Arabic conferences, and mediations, Ibn Saud disavowed the crime in the end completely, and refused to treat the file, and refused the reimbursement of victims' families; because he was of the opinion that this would constitute an admission of the crime, and would take away the political and moral gains he had obtained from it.
Then the war [between Yemen and Saudi Arabia] broke out in 1934 which ended with the Treaty of Taif, and one of the causes of the war was this massacre.
Syrian traveler and historian Nazih Moayad Alazem, who visited Yemen in 1927, mentioned in his book "Journey in Arabia Felix" that the number of this massacre's martyrs was between 5000-6000. What was the accurate number of martyrs and how did you investigate it?
Due to the lack of accurate statistics for the pilgrims at that time, multiple accounts were issued by historians about their number, but the number that settled on the Yemeni and Saudi parties at the time through their correspondence and documents said that they were more than three thousand martyrs, and we have received accurate statistics transmitted by Mr. Yahya bin Ali Al-Dhari in a manuscript in the Great Mosque [of Sanaa], that one of the scholars, Ahmed Al-Washli, arrived from Mecca, and stated that the Pilgrims were 3,105 pilgrims.
Alazem mentioned in his book that those who survived the massacre were between seven to five… How accurate is that, and did you know the survivors or meet their sons or relatives?
The aforementioned manuscript mentioned that the number of survivors was about 500 people, of whom 150 continued their way to Hajj after fleeing to Tihama of Asir, and they rode to Jeddah, which is a very reasonable number, with evidence that we were able to obtain the names of dozens of these survivors from their children and grandchildren.
We did not meet any of the survivors, but we have interviewed dozens of their children and grandchildren, and documented their news in my book "The Great Massacre of Pilgrims", and work is still underway to document the largest possible number of martyrs and survivors.
After 99 years of the massacre… What can be done so that the international community moves to recognize this massacre and ensure that Saudi Arabia does not go unpunished?
Everyone admits that more than 3,000 martyrs of Yemeni pilgrims were killed by a Saudi ideological military formation, under the orders of Ibn Saud, and therefore the Saudi regime is first responsible for this massacre criminally, politically, morally, and ethically, which lawyers classify as a crime against humanity.
It took place in the context of security and peace, not in the shadow of war, and such type of crime is an imprescriptible offense, as there is a possibility, according to legal experts, to file lawsuits against the Saudi regime before international courts, and this needs the support of the state, lawyers, and human rights organizations, with the support of families of the victims.
I also call for the issuance of a law regulating the filing of lawsuits before Yemeni courts, the establishment of a special court for this crime, and the issuance of judgments in that, and soon the day will come when the Yemenis will impose on the Saudi regime the implementation of these provisions.
All in all, the Yemenis have a Quranic legitimacy in remedying themselves and taking justice into their own hands for their victims. The Almighty said: {And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas )} and this is the strongest legitimacy that can be relied upon.
Part 3 - End