From Valentina Colombo at the Gatestone Institute:
“God is not fanatic; the ulema [religious scholars]… are.” — Mohammed Charfi, Muslim intellectual.
Saudi Arabia’s behavior comes with the bought consent of the West, which would rather constantly reprimand and punish Israel than address the Arab and Muslim world’s floggings, stonings, beheadings and amputations — not to mention executing homosexuals, gender apartheid and the often merciless treatment of foreign workers. Such a double standard exposes that many Europeans who consider themselves moral and speak about “ethical investing” are, in fact, accessories to these Saudi crimes, and therefore themselves guilty of crimes against humanity.
Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger, has been sentenced to 1000 lashes, ten years in jail and a fine of $270,000 for a blog regarded by Saudi Arabia’s regime as insulting Islam.Terrorism only exists, therefore, if and when it is directed at the Saudi regime, and may well mean just defeating Shiites.
Saudi human rights lawyer Walid Abu al-Khayr, who defended blogger Raif Badawi, was sentenced yesterday, July 6, to 15 years in prison. He was arrested on April 15, accused of: “inciting public opinion,” “disobedience in matters of the sovereign,” “lack of respect in dealings with the authorities,” “offense of the judicial system,” “inciting international organizations against the Saudi kingdom” and, finally, for having founded illegally, or without authorization, his association “Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia.” He was also forbidden to travel for fifteen years after his release, and fined 200,000 riyals ($53,000) according to Abdullah al-Shihri of the Associated Press. His wife, Samar Badawi, said that he refused to sign the verdict and would not appeal the case, since “he does not see this court as legitimate,” she said.
Earlier this year, on March 3, 2014, Saudi King Abdullah invited everyone, as the Arab daily Asharq al-Awsatreported, to spread the culture of moderation and tolerance in Arab countries. He talked about a “common responsibility” that concerns “governments, political leaders and non-governmental organizations.”
Two months later, however, on May 7, Raif Badawi, detained since June 17, 2012 in Briman Prison in Jeddah, was sentenced (sentence no. 34184394) to 1,000 lashes (in violation of international law, which prohibits such punishments), ten years in jail and fine of one million riyals ($270,000).
Such behavior from the Saudi regime comes with the bought consent of the West, which would rather constantly reprimand and punish Israel than address the Arab and Muslim world’s floggings, beheadings, stonings and amputations — not to mention executing homosexuals, gender apartheid and the effective imprisonment, if not frequent slavery, of women, and the often merciless treatment of foreign workers. Such a double standard exposes how many Europeans, who consider themselves moral and speak about “ethical investing,” are, in fact, accessories to these Saudi crimes, and therefore themselves guilty of crimes against humanity.