<p>This weekend, Saudi Arabia announced it had executed 47 convicted terrorists including prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr and several al-Qaida detainees. This is sure to incite protests and worsen the unrest already present within the country&rsquo;s Shiite minority.</p>
<p>Trouble may also break out in nearby Bahrain, a country that has seen ongoing violence since the Shiite protests in 2011 demanding more rights from the Sunni monarchy. Al-Nimr was famous for his criticism of the Bahrain monarchy. ;</p>
<p>The executions &ndash; some carried out with swords, others by firing squad &ndash; have drawn worldwide criticism. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Regardless of the crimes allegedly committed, executing prisoners in mass only further stains Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s troubling human rights record,&rdquo; said Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director of the US-based Human Rights Watch. &ldquo;Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s path to stability in the Eastern Province lies in ending systematic discrimination against Shia citizens, not in executions.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>The beheading of al-Qaida members, including prominent ideologue Faris al-Shuwail, has raised concern regarding revenge attacks. The terrorist group&rsquo;s Yemen branch warned Saudi Arabia last month to expect violence if the executions were carried out. ;</p>
<p>Indeed, just hours after the execution announcement, protestors attacked a Saudi consulate in Mashad and set fire to the Saudi Arabian embassy. Police used tear gas to disperse protestors. ;</p>
<p>The execution was a &ldquo;grave mistake that could have been avoided with a royal amnesty that would have helped reduce sectarian tensions in the region,&rdquo; said Lebanese Shiite cleric Sheikh Abdul-Amir Kabalan. &ldquo;We have warned the concerned sides that any such reckless act means a catastrophe for the nation.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>Former Prime Minister of Iraq Nuri al-Maliki predicts that the execution of Al-Nimr will lead to the downfall of the Saudi Arabian government. ;</p>