I particularly liked the line
Critics have dismissed the gathering as a propaganda gimmick by the Saudis who, they say, are not best placed to host a meeting on religious tolerance.
Which might just be the understatement of the week.
Turns out that the Sadui authorities aren’t above persecuting young men for behaving like young men any more than they are above oppressing women for being women.
Of course, there is still a difference; I doubt these men are going to be publicly beaten for their actions.
The recent ordeal (which I’ve blogged about here and here,) of a young woman who was sentenced to state-sponsored brutality after being gang-raped is just one example of the shocking barbarity of the Saudi regime. It is unacceptable that the UK counts any nation with such a poor human-rights record as an ally, so please take a couple of minutes to sign this petition urging our government to sever friendly ties with Saudi Arabia until such a time as they join us in the 21st Century.
The actual text you’ll be putting your name to is:
The government have rolled out the Red carpet to the Saudi Royal Family yet the government of Saudi Arabia is an autocratic regime with an appalling human rights record. Executions, flogging and amputations are imposed and carried out with disregard for the most basic international fair trial standards. ‘Offences’ include being gay or being a woman unaccompanied by a man or driving a car. Yet with utter hypocrisy the UK government condemns similar regimes such as Burma and has very minimal ties with countries like Libya. The UK has turned a blind eye to this for its own selfish economic interests to the extent that we will break international law on corruption to avoid upsetting the Saudi Royal Family. As a consequence of this relationship we are perceived as supporters and backers of this repressive regime. We have seen the consequences of these injustices on the security of our country. It is now the opportunity to restore Britain’s dignity and end this stain on our country’s reputation.
Last year I blogged about a Saudi woman who’d been gang raped, and then charged by the authorities for being in the same car as a male friend who was not her husband (before the rape.) Initially, she was sentenced to 90 lashes (yes, corporal punishment.) She appealed that sentence (as well as the lenient sentences handed down on the rape gang.) Well, the appeal court has increased all the sentences. Not only have the rapists had their sentenced increased (as they should,) but so has their victim.
200 lashes and two years in prison for meeting a male friend. It’s backwards, it’s barbaric, and it’s a violation of her human rights. And our government tacitly supports it because the bigoted despots in charge are our allies and supply us with oil.