Saudis show their true nature

We already knew that Saudi-Arabia was a strict muslim country. This month, for example, it was in the newspapers with some rather unflattering headlines. “7000 lashes for gay men in Saudi-Arabia (4 oct). Freedom of religion severely limited in Saudi-Arabia (18 oct) etc… The demonstration in Copenhagen was in fact, specifically set up to protest against the Saudi human rights commission, who came to teach the Danish about human rights, to make them look in the mirror. How can you apply the Sharia, a lawbook that justifies the second class status of women and approves of torture, and still talk about human rights without blushing with shame? Can a country that ignores the UN-treaties about human rights have a doublerow and an official welcome at all?

Yes, according to some British diplomats, because this weekend, a royal Saudi delegation was cheerfully welcomed in the center of London. After the demonstration on 26 oct, we witnessed the rehearsal for this royal visit: Military parades blocked the whole city center, the avenue in front of Buckingham Palace was marred by Saudi flags (with the motto “La ilaha Ila Allah Muhammada Rasulu allah” or “There is no other god than Allah and Muhammed is his prophet” see picture below) and some lines of the London Underground were closed down.

So, what was so special about this visit then? The abolition of sharia law? The long-awaited separation between religion and state? The approval of the human rights treaties perhaps? None of this! Arrogant as we know them, the Saudis came to claim things. As a matter of fact, the Saudi king had some remarkable complaints!

Western countries should do more against international terrorism, the Saudi king Abdullah said in an interview with the BBC” According to the this man, the international community fails to make the different inquiries offices cooperate effectively enough to exchange information.[…] The abominable reputation of the Saudis concerning human rights irritates the Brits because they think that their government should be way more firm with Riyadh about this matter. Finally, another important fact is, that Saudi-Arabia is one of the main exporters of jihadists. Osama Bin Laden, to name one. Fourteen of the nineteen hijackers of the 9/11 attacks had the Saudi nationality. From the 227 most wanted Al-Quaida terrorists, at least 49 of them are Saudis. According to recent estimates, the majority of jihadi-warriors in Iraq are Saudis. The rabid anti-western, anti-semetic and violent ideology is mostly from Saudi origin. For some reason: The only religion allowed by the powerful monarchy is the wahabist branch of islam, a ultrapuritan and intolerant version of a religion that is spread in thousands of mosques in that country. As a consequence of the poor curriculum, the Saudi educational system had only produced men that are skilled in extremist islam. Riyadh has spread its intolerant islam worldwide by sponsoring the building of wahabist mosques en quranschools. Saudi-Arabia was one of the two countries who officially recognised the Taliban- in Afghanistan, even during the American invasion in that country. And so on and so on…

Ouch, that hurt. Especially because the British Policy Exchange recently published a report in which they conclude that imams in the UK incite hatred, including the mosque in Central Regent’s park. This mosque, financed with Saudi-Arabian money and led by a Saudi diplomat, sells books that “… call for the beheading of apostates and the stoning of adulterous women. They create a climate of intolerance and contempt towards non-muslims, that can be exploited by violent jihadists.”

Buckingham Palace must have had it now with the whole Saudi thing. SIOE looks forward to their membershipsfee.