March 11 was to be a "day of anger" in Saudi Arabia. The event, planned and expected for weeks, will not even hear a slight murmur. Protesters from the Eastern Province, where a Shiite minority is concentrated, essentially called for the release of political prisoners. Elsewhere, the country remained silent.
While many are not surprised, some ask why. Two factors have contributed to the silence: the first was the attitude of the government with a warning from the Interior Ministry and prohibition petitions and demonstrations by senior clergy. Moreover, a broad campaign to discourage the demonstrators has been launched.
Throughout the week, the Saudis have been inundated with television programs, text messages and online rumors accusing the organizers of complicity in a plot of Iran and saying that the demonstrators would be fined several thousand riyals and up to five years imprisonment. The same day, finally, the security forces carried out an impressive display in major cities, setting up security checkpoints and helicopter flying over areas.
The uncertainty about the identity of the organizers of the event has played a more important role. What began as a call on Facebook to the emergence of a civil society - with a list of demands, including the transition to a constitutional monarchy - and for civil liberties and human rights has transformed into an expression of a virulent sectarianism glorifying the Islamists.
The popular movement was gradually recovered and renamed Hunayn, a name of jihad recalling a famous battle of the ancient history of the Muslim world. [The militant Islamist] Sa'ad Al-Faqih and other anti-monarchist militants took the lead. On its television channel, TV-Islah, Al-Faqih said places of appointments and gave instructions on how to organize a demonstration.
He has transformed a popular initiative calling for reforms call for an end to the monarchy and the creation of a new Islamic state, a goal also pursued by bin Laden. These claims have no support from the Saudi population. None of the personalities who participated in the drafting of petitions in recent weeks have publicly supported the protests.
All these researchers, actors, writers and public figures were obtained that thousands of Saudis have the courage to sign their petitions, but none have called for the streets on 11 March. A few days ago, during a weekly meeting of reformers, the vast majority of them indicated that they did not intend to participate in the revolution Hunayn.
As for those who had thought their intention was to go on the first day to see if it was indeed a reformist movement in order not to associate with a current anti-monarchist. Twitter, most Saudis express their surprise at the seriousness with which the government handled this event. As summarized Soumz, medical student and blogger, in a tweet: "What I learned on March 11: The government will listen (even if you choose to ignore) and he is afraid of you." Fouad Al-Farhan does have a poll to ask people their opinion on this non-event.
If the method is not scientific, the results are revealing. Of 400 individuals surveyed, 37% say they are relieved that nothing had to happen because they were opposed to any form of manifestation, 30% said they were disappointed because they thought that the movement would lead to reforms, with only 2% had hoped that we would see a revolutionary movement comparable to those of Tunisia and Egypt.
Finally, 32% say they are confident and believe in the adoption of reforms, regardless of the organization of events. 
While many are not surprised, some ask why. Two factors have contributed to the silence: the first was the attitude of the government with a warning from the Interior Ministry and prohibition petitions and demonstrations by senior clergy. Moreover, a broad campaign to discourage the demonstrators has been launched.
Throughout the week, the Saudis have been inundated with television programs, text messages and online rumors accusing the organizers of complicity in a plot of Iran and saying that the demonstrators would be fined several thousand riyals and up to five years imprisonment. The same day, finally, the security forces carried out an impressive display in major cities, setting up security checkpoints and helicopter flying over areas.
The uncertainty about the identity of the organizers of the event has played a more important role. What began as a call on Facebook to the emergence of a civil society - with a list of demands, including the transition to a constitutional monarchy - and for civil liberties and human rights has transformed into an expression of a virulent sectarianism glorifying the Islamists.
The popular movement was gradually recovered and renamed Hunayn, a name of jihad recalling a famous battle of the ancient history of the Muslim world. [The militant Islamist] Sa'ad Al-Faqih and other anti-monarchist militants took the lead. On its television channel, TV-Islah, Al-Faqih said places of appointments and gave instructions on how to organize a demonstration.
He has transformed a popular initiative calling for reforms call for an end to the monarchy and the creation of a new Islamic state, a goal also pursued by bin Laden. These claims have no support from the Saudi population. None of the personalities who participated in the drafting of petitions in recent weeks have publicly supported the protests.
All these researchers, actors, writers and public figures were obtained that thousands of Saudis have the courage to sign their petitions, but none have called for the streets on 11 March. A few days ago, during a weekly meeting of reformers, the vast majority of them indicated that they did not intend to participate in the revolution Hunayn.
As for those who had thought their intention was to go on the first day to see if it was indeed a reformist movement in order not to associate with a current anti-monarchist. Twitter, most Saudis express their surprise at the seriousness with which the government handled this event. As summarized Soumz, medical student and blogger, in a tweet: "What I learned on March 11: The government will listen (even if you choose to ignore) and he is afraid of you." Fouad Al-Farhan does have a poll to ask people their opinion on this non-event.
If the method is not scientific, the results are revealing. Of 400 individuals surveyed, 37% say they are relieved that nothing had to happen because they were opposed to any form of manifestation, 30% said they were disappointed because they thought that the movement would lead to reforms, with only 2% had hoped that we would see a revolutionary movement comparable to those of Tunisia and Egypt.
Finally, 32% say they are confident and believe in the adoption of reforms, regardless of the organization of events.
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