Brother of executed Shi’ite cleric hopes any reaction to killing will be peaceful

DUBAI (Reuters) – The brother of prominent Saudi Shi’ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr said on Saturday the family was shocked by news of his brother’s execution but hoped that any reaction would be peaceful.

“Sheikh Nimr enjoyed high esteem in his community and within Muslim society in general and no doubt there will be reaction,” Mohammed al-Nimr told Reuters by telephone. “We hope that any reactions would be confined to a peaceful framework. No one should have any reaction outside this peaceful framework. Enough bloodshed”

(Reporting by Sami Aboudi, editing by Larry King)