MUSLIM HATE IN SAUDI ARABIA!
Saudi Columnist: "We Must Admit that Our Relations with America Were the Cornerstone for Our Development and Progress. In Return, We Must Ask What We Have Gained from Our Relations with the Arab World"
In a recent column in the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah titled "Thank You America," Muhammad Al-Sheikh described how relations with the U.S. have benefited Saudi Arabia, while Arab nationalism has proven to be "a destructive ideology."
The following translation of Al-Sheikh's article appeared June 18, 2005 in the Saudi English-language daily Arab News:
"What have the Arabs given us Saudis in comparison to what we have gained from our relations with America? I know very well that this is an extremely sensitive issue that many would hesitate to address; they are restrained by a culture of fear that prevents them from confronting controversial and sensitive issues head-on.
"The late King Abdul Aziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, was a resourceful and far-sighted statesman when he chose the Americans rather than the British to come and search for oil in the Kingdom. He did so despite Britain at the time being an important force in the region, with its colonies and dependencies surrounding the infant kingdom. The politics of the time plus the colonial legacies of both Britain and France made King Abdul Aziz distance himself from them and look to the New World.
"Not long after the Americans and their expertise arrived, oil was gushing from beneath the desert sands and the development of the modern Saudi state began.
"Following World War II, the Arab countries had to choose between the two different world systems — communism or capitalism. King Abdul Aziz chose capitalism, the West, and America in particular. Thanks to this relationship that has lasted for more than six decades, we Saudis were able to invest oil revenues in building our country. King Abdul Aziz laid the foundations for a consistent Saudi foreign policy that held the Kingdom's interests above other considerations.
"These are the reasons why the Kingdom flourished while other countries went down or teetered on the verge of collapsing. Those countries bet on the wrong horse and did not realize that survival lies in economic development and modernization. They chose to confine themselves in a cocoon and remain isolated from the rest of the world, blinded by the illusions of nationalism and other false ideologies. It was indeed very strange to hear those fragile regimes labeling themselves progressive while calling us reactionary.
"We must admit that our relations with America were the cornerstone for our development and progress. In return, we must ask what we have gained from our relations with the Arab world. Speaking frankly and unequivocally, all we got from them was trouble. Our brothers, as they call themselves, conspired against us, attacked us, and used all the means at their disposal to derail our plans for unity.
Saudis Hypocritical On Tolerance
By Michael Hubbard
The
Daily Campus - Commentary
Issue: 10/12/05
Saudi Arabia is one of the most oppressive regimes in the world, yet the world
remains silent. The United States is globally criticized for every misstep, but
virtually no one knows of Saudi Arabia's hypocritical injustices. In fact,
perhaps America's greatest injustice and most appropriate criticism, is in its
continued support for Saudi Arabia.
The alleged Koran desecrations at Guantanamo made headline news for weeks,
evoking outrage and sparking massive demonstrations around the world. Saudi
Arabia officially responded with "indignation" demanding immediate action by the
United States to rectify and prevent the alleged incidents. Meanwhile, in Saudi
Arabia, it is standard procedure for visitors to have their Bibles, religious
symbols and other non-Wahhabi religious texts confiscated and incinerated (Wahhabism
is Saudi Arabia's official sect of Islam). Possessing a Bible within Saudi
Arabia can result in arrest, deportation and even a death sentence. For example,
Sadeq Mallallah, a young Shia Muslim, was beheaded in 1993 for owning a Bible.
America, on the other hand, not only gives their prisoners Korans, but they
protect the texts from being disrespected. In fact, there were only five
confirmed Koran desecration incidents at Guantanamo, and the only proven
intentional one was a guard kicking a Koran. In light of such a fact, it is
outrageous that the entire world, including Saudi Arabia, was in an uproar over
a few minor mishandlings of the Koran in a prison. This is especially
outrageous, as virtually all of the mishandlings were proven false or
exaggerated, while Saudi Arabia, to this day, continues its tyrannical
nationwide ban on all non-Muslim religious texts and symbols.
The Saudi hypocrisy does not end there. There are millions of non-Muslim guest
workers who live and work in Saudi Arabia, forbidden from practicing their own
religion. For example, this past April, 40 Pakistani Christians were arrested
for, as one Saudi official put it, "trying to spread their poisonous religious
beliefs." A few hours later, King Abdullah flew to the United States to have a
meeting with President George W. Bush. During the meeting, it was established
that, "Saudi Arabia reiterates its call on all those who teach and propagate the
Islamic faith to adhere strictly to the Islamic message of peace, moderation and
tolerance and reject that which deviates from those principles. Both countries
agree that this message of peace, moderation and tolerance must extend to those
of all faiths and practices."
Despite such a pledge, Americans in Saudi Arabia cannot openly celebrate Easter,
Christmas or even Thanksgiving. Indeed, Saudi Arabia continues to espouse
tolerance internationally, while domestically brutally suppressing all non-Wahhabi
sects.
While Saudi Arabia prevents other religions from preaching within its borders,
the Saudis certainly have no problem spending billions of dollars preaching
abroad. After the war in Bosnia, Saudi Arabia willingly provided aid, but not
without strings attached. Mosques built by Saudi funding could not be built in
the rich cultural heritage of Bosnian Muslims. Instead, they needed to be built
in the featureless Wahhabi style. Saudi Arabia leveraged their aid, trying to
impose a strict Wahhabi doctrine on the culturally unique Bosnian Muslims.
Earlier this year, Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom released a
report on the Saudi government's funding of publications of hate ideologies for
American Mosques. Some publications stated that for a homosexual or someone who
engaged in heterosexual activity outside of marriage "it would be lawful for
Muslims to spill his blood and to take his money." There are also numerous
statements against Sufi Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Christians, Jews, women and
democracy. It is hypocritical that the Saudis are allowed to hate monger and
preach abroad while there is no freedom of religion in their own country.
Saudi citizens are allowed to traverse the world, and each country allows them
to freely practice their faith. Yet, Saudi Arabia is a nation where non-Muslims
are not allowed to be citizens, and non-Muslims can't even enter the city of
Mecca. There is no freedom of religion, and though the government claims to
respect the right of non-Muslims to worship in private, this right has been
repeatedly violated. In light of Saudi Arabia's hypocrisy and extreme
intolerance, the United States needs to seriously reconsider its support of
Saudi Arabia and the international news media needs to stop ignoring Saudi
Arabia's hypocrisy.
Three French nationals shot dead in Saudi Arabia
By Andrew Hammond
Reuters (IDS)
February 26, 2007
RIYADH (Reuters) - Three French expatriates working in Saudi Arabia were shot
dead during a desert trip on Monday in what appeared to be the first militant
attack on foreigners in three years.
An Interior Ministry statement said gunmen in a car fired at a group of nine
French nationals after stopping them near Medina in the west of the vast desert
country.
"They are all residents who work in Riyadh and who had gone on a desert trip,"
Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki told Saudi television, adding the
attackers escaped after apparently stalking the group as they camped overnight.
The French Foreign Ministry said one was a teacher and two others worked with
French firm Schneider Electric.
Islamic militants swearing allegiance to al Qaeda launched a violent campaign to
topple the U.S.-allied Saudi monarchy in 2003, with suicide bomb attacks on
foreigners and government installations including the oil industry.
There had been no major attacks targeting foreigners since 2004, when the
violence was at its height. Frenchman Laurent Barbot was shot dead in the Red
Sea port city of Jeddah by suspected al Qaeda militants in September 2004.
The Saudi wing of al Qaeda resurfaced earlier this month threatening new attacks
on Westerners in the kingdom.
The ministry spokesman said the tourist group, thought to number 26, had split
into two after a night in the desert near Medina, with some returning to Riyadh
and the nine French nationals staying behind because some of them were Muslims
who hoped to make a pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
Western diplomats said the group may also have visited the historical site of
Madain Saleh, north of Medina.
The government statement said two men died at the scene and a third died later
in hospital. One other is still in hospital in Medina. Saudi television said
initially four had died.
Officials said the attackers had singled out the men in the group, which
included women and children.
In Paris, President Jacques Chirac called for action to find the attackers and
ensure foreigners' safety.
"He strongly condemns this hateful act," a statement said, calling on
authorities to "track down, try and punish those guilty of the act and guarantee
the safety of our compatriots".
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh, the top government-appointed cleric,
said Saudis should condemn the attack. "All citizens have a responsibility to
warn against this (kind of) crime and condemn it," he said on state television.
MILITANT ATTACKS
The last major attack was in February last year when militants attempted to
storm a major oil facility at Abqaiq in the east of Saudi Arabia, the world's
largest oil exporter.
Officials say more than 136 militants and 150 foreigners and Saudis, including
security forces, have died in the violence which officials had said had been
stamped out thanks to toughened security measures and a powerful publicity
campaign.
The Saudi wing of al Qaeda recently threatened to renew its campaign of
violence.
"For some time now, we have been preparing some quality attacks which will shake
the foundations of the crusaders (Westerners) in the Arabian Peninsula," said
the group's Web magazine, reappearing after a nearly two-year absence.
A senior Western diplomat told Reuters last week that Saudi authorities had
taken impressive measures to crush the mini-insurgency in 2003 and 2004, but
that the underlying causes were still there for it to re-emerge at any point.
"They ran a successful campaign, they act on intelligence and never let the
grass grow under the terrorists' feet," the diplomat said. "But they still have
got a long way to go on winning hearts and minds."
Analysts say the causes include widespread radical Islamist ideology in Saudi
Arabia, which imposes a strict form of Sunni Islam as state orthodoxy, and anger
at the inability of Arab and Muslim governments to challenge U.S. foreign policy
widely seen as unbalanced and favouring Israel.
Bush Disappointed in Saudi Arabia Over Rape Case Decision
04 December 2007
President Bush has expressed disappointment with Saudi Arabia for a court's decision to sentence a victim of a gang rape to 200 lashes and six months in prison.
Mr. Bush told reporters at the White House Tuesday, that he would have been very emotional if his own daughter had endured such treatment. He said he would also have been angry at those who committed the crime and at a state that did not support the victim.
Mr. Bush said he has not discussed the issue with Saudi King Abdullah. But he said the king knows the U.S. position on the case.
A Saudi court sentenced the 19-year-old Shi'ite woman last week for being in public with a man not related to her. The Saudi Justice Ministry says the woman and her companion were noticed by several men who kidnapped and raped both of them.
The court said it increased the woman's original sentence of 90 lashes because she had spoken to the media.
Saudi Arabia's Justice Ministry said Saturday the unidentified, married woman had confessed to having an extramarital affair last year.
Under Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law, women are not allowed in public in the company of men other than their male relatives.
The seven men convicted of raping the woman and her male companion have been given sentences ranging from two to nine years in prison.
The Saudi government has accused the international media of reporting false information about the case.