POLITICS: Saudi Arabia Accused of Violating Freedoms, page 1

posted on Sep, 15 2004 @ 05:45 PM

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In what is being described as an unusual move, the Bush administration has placed the Saudi Kingdom on the "countries of particular concern" list. It is reserved for nations that violate religious freedom. Countries on the list could be eligable for sanctions.

news.yahoo.com
WASHINGTON - In an unusual censure of a key ally in the war on terrorism, the Bush administration on Wednesday accused Saudi Arabia of "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom.

The State Department also included the kingdom for the first time on a list of countries that could be subject to U.S. sanctions because of religious intolerance.

Nations in this category carry a special designation: "countries of particular concern," or CPCs.

"Freedom of religion does not exist," the State Department said, summing up the situation in Saudi Arabia in a report that covered religious freedom in 191 countries.

Those who do not adhere to the officially sanctioned strain of Sunni Islam practiced in the country can face "severe repercussions" from religious police, the report said.

It also cited instances in which government-paid mosque preachers "used violent anti-Jewish and anti-Christian language in their sermons."

For the first time in the six years the State Department has been evaluating the state of religious freedom internationally, Saudi Arabia earned the CPC designation

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

As stated above this is an interesting move. Previous administrations have been reluctant to condem Saudi Arabia for human rights violations and restrictions on religious freedom. Saudi Arabia now has the dubious distinction of being considered in the same company as Eritrea, Vietnam, Myanmar, China, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan. However, given its place as the biggest producer of oil, I doubt that any sanctions will be levied.

[edit on 15-9-2004 by Nerdling]

AceOfBase

posted on Sep, 15 2004 @ 05:50 PM

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Now that's a shocker.
Actually condemning Saudi Arabia for anything is a surprise.

Good for them for standing up for religious freedom.

FredT

posted on Sep, 15 2004 @ 06:11 PM

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Originally posted by AceOfBase
Now that's a shocker.
Actually condemning Saudi Arabia for anything is a surprise.

Good for them for standing up for religious freedom.

Its nothing new IMHO. Wahaabism is pretty scary when you get down to it. Im surprised that anybody in the administration would take a stand. After reading the book "Sleeping with the Devil" it seems pretty clear that Republican or Democrat all dip thier hands in the Saudi money pot. Its pretty clear that it will come to nothing. You don't bite the hand that fills your tank it seems.

chaosrain

posted on Sep, 15 2004 @ 10:15 PM

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I think that this is troubling in light of one of the base tenets of Islam. I'm no scholar of Islam, but I took a comparative religion class back in school, and many Muslim sects believe in the Caliphate, or the religious ruling family. The very nature of the Caliphate requires the Muslim state to be run by a Muslim government for the purpose of governing Muslims. There's not a whole lot of room for religious freedom amongst your citizens in that case.

I fear this the beginning of a crusade against Islam. It is the nature of Muslim culture to be expected to be ruled by your religious leaders. Any move by the US to sanction governments who attempt to rule their citizens as a Muslim citizenry is simply an effort to create a fundamental barrier to the creation of a true Caliphate and, therefore, minimize the potency of the spread of Islam in the middle east.

Of course, that's just my opinion and I could be wrong. Either way, it does seem that we're running from Saudi Arabia and not turning back these days.

sweatmonicaIdo

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 01:00 AM

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No surprise...

Saudi Arabia is one nasty country. Their overall human rights violations are absolutely atrocious. I'm glad the U.S. government is finally being less discriminatory and only picking certain countries (*cough* Iraq *cough*) to hate on.

FredT

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 01:07 AM

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Originally posted by chaosrain
II fear this the beginning of a crusade against Islam. It is the nature of Muslim culture to be expected to be ruled by your religious leaders.

Actually Turkey is an example of a modern Islamic Democracy.

el_illumbrato

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 02:11 AM

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no surprise here. Most of my islamic friends, the olitical ones anyway, have always hated the saudis (the leaders that is) because of their links to USA but for the last few months they have been saying that america will eventually go after saudi arabia too. I'm sure people in the 80's didnt think we'd be bombing the hell out of iraq for over a decade either! Or before that that the hero against communism, bin ladin, would be the wests' most hated man at some point later either and be a reason to bomb afganistan (even though the taliban had pretty much fled the country by the time troops landed).

At the end of the day:

1) we need oil
2) We need war (more money and budget for the military then and easier to lander some money into black bag ops and research)
3) We need our own people in power there, not some lackeys who have so far played along.
4) might as well annoy the islamic fundamentalists more so they do some more terrorism and we can bomb some more kids and then put our own puppet in power there for the benefit of capitalism

doctorduh

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 03:22 AM

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I'll bet every country in the world has the u.s. on their "countrys to be concerned about" list. I think the history of native americans, african americans, and women tell our story of human rights violations.
I will say that we have changed for the better and maybe the Saudi's will as well. But we should all remember we have a long ways to go.
Just my two cents.

PublicGadfly

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 06:38 AM

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Originally posted by doctorduh
I'll bet every country in the world has the u.s. on their "countrys to be concerned about" list. I think the history of native americans, african americans, and women tell our story of human rights violations.
I will say that we have changed for the better and maybe the Saudi's will as well. But we should all remember we have a long ways to go.
Just my two cents.

America is quickly losing it's patina. The 'light of hope' has been replaced by the glare of a gun barrel.

The ghosts of Imperial Rome gotta love the U.S. Imagine being an impoverished nation (hundreds to choose from) and the U.S. puts you on their list. Dance in the streets- a McDonalds is only six months down the road along with a newly built XXX-porn theater. So what if you loose your sovereingity and most personal freedoms- now you get Hershey Bars and Coca-Cola!

The IMF and World Bank are in the background of all these machinations-
the Sudan is an IMF member, wow!

Think about that. Poor countries that go into chaos are linked to the IMF. Remember Argentina? Opnce was prosperous and growing. IMF came in and wham- chaos. The do have a McDonalds!

World Bank boycotts are organized to fight imperialism under a new mask.

The IMF and World Bank are nothing more than modern colonialism. Countries toe the line or become chaotic. Iran, sad to say is one the IMF hit list. This coincides with Bush's �axis of evil� philosophy. I wonder if the have a McDonalds in Tehran?

fanoose

posted on Sep, 17 2004 @ 02:28 PM

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Originally posted by FredT
Actually Turkey is an example of a modern Islamic Democracy.

fanoose

posted on Sep, 18 2004 @ 07:00 AM

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Updated:
Saudi clerics reject US criticism
Aljazeera.net
Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia have rejected US criticism of religious constraints in the kingdom.

Rejecting a recent US State Department report which accused Saudi Arabia of severe violations of religious freedom, prominent Islamic leaders on Friday said the United States' own record proved it was in no position to judge others.

"How do the Americans have the right to speak about violation of religious freedoms and human rights in this country or another?" questioned a leading Shia leader, Shaikh Hasan al-Saffar.

He said US support of Israel, the occupation of neighbouring Iraq and the reported mistreatment of Arabs and Muslims in the United States since 2001 had robbed Washington of moral high ground.

Report trashed
"With all these American policies and practices does the US State Department expect people to believe its report on religious freedoms?" al-Saffar asked.

The US State Department in a report earlier this week alleged "freedom of religion does not exist" in Saudi Arabia and included the kingdom for the first time on a list of eight countries of particular concern.

The report said religious freedoms were denied to all Saudis except those who adhere to the "state sanctioned Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam".

Salih al-Fawzan, senior Sunni preacher and member of Saudi Arabia's top religious body � the Supreme Association of Ulama � condemned the United States as an ''infidel'' country.

He also defended restrictions against non-Muslim religions in Saudi Arabia. "Prophet Muhammad said there should not be two religions in the Arabian peninsula," al-Fawzan said.

Relations between Riyadh and Washington have been under stress since the September 11 attacks on the United States which were carried out by mainly Saudi hijackers.

The surprise designation of Saudi Arabia as a country of particular concern, alongside Vietnam, Eritrea, Myanmar, China, Cuba, Iran and North Korea, allows for a range of sanctions, though none are expected to be imposed.