Why Is Saudi Arabia Heading a UN Human Rights Council Panel?

It isn't so much an American Issue as a World Issue, but I chose to place it in this forum. This needs to be said again, the big Why Question!

There in my opinion hasn't been nearly enough stated about this and why SA is where it is on a Human Rights Council having such a bad and long history of abusing it's own people.

The Human Rights Council is beholden to outmoded protocols that allow rotating member-states to assume control of issues they’re least qualified to address.

In a normal world, Saudi Arabia would be arraigned for its appalling human rights record, not appointed to head an important panel at the international human rights monitor. And yet, it was revealed Monday that over the summer Saudi Arabia was appointed to a panel at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that would interview and short-list experts, from among whom successful candidates would then be nominated to examine specific human rights challenges.

The hypocrisy behind this decision need hardly be stated. The Saudi government is unelected and run by one large family, or clan. Not only does it have the death penalty on its statute, it executes prisoners with particular relish, turning their executions into a public spectacle. Torture is routine in its prisons and offenders of certain crimes are flogged in public.

The denial of the right to drive is among the least of the abuses women suffer in the country. Foreigners who live in Saudi Arabia—be they well-paid expatriates or construction workers living in slavery-like conditions—have to be on the guard constantly so that they don’t fall foul of its laws that violate the norms of free and fair trials.

Its vast wealth is used to acquire weapons at home and finance fundamentalist movements abroad which cause havoc in distant societies, transforming native forms of Islam into Wahhabism which bears little relation to the universal declaration of human rights.

www.thedailybeast.com...

* How Saudi Arabia Kept it's UN Human Rights Council Seat While Russia Loses Bid in Close Vote

Because on this planet up is down.

Why do the leaders of the "free world" spy on their citizens?

Oxymoronic​.

Saudi is a joke.. UN is bigger joke then saudi. Dont take things seriously.

a reply to: luckskywatcher

Welcome to the Orwellian world of today . Don't beat your brains trying to make any sense of it because you cant .

Hmm, death penalty, approval of torture and holding certain prisoners without trials, using immigrants to do dirty and cheap labor other citizens wont do.... spying on their citizens, corruption in every corner of the government... dropping bombs on countries which cant retaliate while others openly do nuke tests....

We need a bigger mirror.

If this was an article from new Zealand or Norway, id take it more seriously.

Money talks.

Also, believe it or not, Saudi Arabia has what is considered one of the best track records for human rights in the ME (which is horrible) and they just need to include someone from the region to suit the current narrative.

Let's make Jared Fogle the head of some organization that helps children while we are at it.

Let's face it, if you have enough money you are free to abuse whoever you want, and even if someone seriously brought it up during the meeting it will just be distorted into "cultural insensitivity"

Money, oil, power.... always more POWER !!!

a reply to: odzeandennz

It's not a contest odze, I made this thread because it's bothered me since they took a very unqualified seat in the UN, and I was hoping for some genuine input on the subject matter at hand.

a reply to: Pandaram

I think this SHOULD be taken seriously.

originally posted by: Rosinitiate
Because on this planet up is down.

Why do the leaders of the "free world" spy on their citizens?

Oxymoronic​.

It sure is. Is like a page right out of 1984.

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I think, no, I know it's all been set up purposely to corral the sheep back into undignified places.

I also feel that certain Nations have side stepped this. Mainly the ones pushing the far right.

It's like the old adage of 'Do as I Say, Not as I do'!

a reply to: Konduit

Money talks I know, but Oil speaks Volumes!

The way the World is headed, literally, I would almost say it deserves what it's getting. Like 911, the entire hype around that was to fear people into being afraid of those nations like SA. And then they turn an about face and install the whole feminist movement up 20 notches and divide the mind by pushing the whole you're racist and anti feminist thing if you don't like those nations that were purposely placed onto people. It's a complete Oxymoron.

It's like they're saying to everyone You must hate them but then you must also love them at the same time.

a reply to: Pandaram

Saudi is a joke

I didn't know you felt that way about me

a reply to: luckskywatcher

A nation which holds official beheadings, floggings, and other tortures, IN THE STREET, should not be allowed to comment on matters pertaining to human rights. Its that simple. It does not matter why they permit that, it does not matter whether it is a religious issue or simply a political one. What matters is, that the act itself disqualifies Saudi Arabia from being a voice to listen to on the matter of human rights.

There again, no nation which has not separated its Church from its State ought to have the right to speak on these matters either.

You can mostly blame the British government for this. This was done on the basis that saudi would continue to supply information on terrorists if given the position.

And we all know why the Saudis have lots of information on terrorists.

There are lots of bad things happening every day. To find the worst of the worst then having a low standard helps. I am not aware of any nation that fulfils all of the terms in the UN Declaration of human rights.

Our western governments are no angles when we support the murder and displacement of millions over a pack of lies. Overall I think it will be good for Saudi Arabia, I am sure they will learn something taking on some responsibility and working on these issues.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: luckskywatcher

A nation which holds official beheadings, floggings, and other tortures, IN THE STREET, should not be allowed to comment on matters pertaining to human rights. Its that simple. It does not matter why they permit that, it does not matter whether it is a religious issue or simply a political one. What matters is, that the act itself disqualifies Saudi Arabia from being a voice to listen to on the matter of human rights.

There again, no nation which has not separated its Church from its State ought to have the right to speak on these matters either.

I agree with all you have said. There are some things that should never be mixed together.

This is the number one reason I can't take the UN seriously.

the reason Saudis want that seat is straight from Mohammad. The want cheese pizza for all Muslims, and there are 1.x billion and growing, especially in resistant areas like Europe. Mohammad set the tone for the cry from the minaret. Married a 6 year old, but saved her for Nine. such graciousness needs to be recognized, and cried out by the muezzin so Muslims will be accepted for what they are, without recrimination.
Thats what human rights are for! Now Huma Abedin and Hillary are pushing beyond cheese pizza, but thats another matter.