Wanna impose democracies? Start with Saudi Arabia

[trevster2k]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...214&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15836746/

Judge sentences female victim to more lashes than her assailant

Nice system of beliefs, the woman gets raped, suffers unspeakable abuse and then the authorities, to whom she goes to for justice, wreak a perverse and disgusting "justice" upon her.

The hypocrisy of Western governments is appalling.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Now your just being Islamophobic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB9iIvexTAI

 

[trevster2k]

No, my title is mocking the reasoning for the Iraq war.

This is not about Islam. This is specifically about Saudi Arabia's treatment of it's citizens especially women. Yet the Saudis get little criticism on the world stage cause they have OIL. Many Muslim nations treat women with respect unlike this particular country.

Which is why many people have questioned the argument for regime change and all the other incredulous statements suggesting justification for the Iraq war. Saudi Arabia is the poster child for human rights abuses yet they don't even get a stern look from this US administration.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Sharia law has nothing to do with Islam religion defines so many patriachal societies and Islam is no exception; like any faith it gives justification to the society. It seems that the less religion in the public sphere the better the treatment of women in the society.

It is the birthplace of that religion and one of the strictest religious states in the world, a liberal secular state would not have a muttawa going around enforcing this system.

The double standard that this and past administrations apply to countries like Saudi Arabia is obvious and should be highlighted, ideologically the Bush White House has been a muddled bag and the track towards the realists will only mean more of this.

Regime change should extend beyond Iraq and it is not limited to military action; wheres the long term support for the democratic reformers and activists regionally? Where is the leaning on these governments to start liberalising? Where is the highlighting of theocracy?

If you want to see the US government push on Saudi Arabia for human rights reform and develop alternative energy options globally to cut off the money that supports the system you are on common ground with the neocons.

 

[Angela Harlem]

No, my title is mocking the reasoning for the Iraq war.

This is not about Islam. This is specifically about Saudi Arabia's treatment of it's citizens especially women. Yet the Saudis get little criticism on the world stage cause they have OIL. Many Muslim nations treat women with respect unlike this particular country.

Which is why many people have questioned the argument for regime change and all the other incredulous statements suggesting justification for the Iraq war. Saudi Arabia is the poster child for human rights abuses yet they don't even get a stern look from this US administration.

i really like you canadians. you're a smart bunch.

 

[martha]

i really like you canadians. you're a smart bunch.

Cute too. Check out his profile pic.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Sorry, Trev, not the direction you wanted this thread to take! Back to the psychotic Saudis...

 

[A_Wanderer]

Vice President Dick Cheney is on his way back to Washington after a daylong whirlwind meeting with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah.

Cheney and King Abdullah met Saturday for several hours on issues key to both nations -- including the latest developments in Iraq, Iran's growing influence in the region, the status of Hamas in Gaza, Syria's diplomatic status, and Syria's influence in Lebanon's government, a Saudi adviser told CNN.

Saudi Arabia believes Iran is using its influence in Syria to help rearm Hezbollah in Lebanon and is undermining Lebanon's already fragile Western-backed government, said the adviser.

The brevity of Cheney's visit underlies the growing sense of urgency after a series of events highlighting an increasingly unstable Middle East.

On Tuesday, an anti-Syrian Lebanese politician, Pierre Gemayel, was assassinated in Beirut, recalling the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/25/cheney.saudi/index.html?section=cnn_latest

 

[Irvine511]

^ yes, but Saddam Hussein is gone.

everything is puppies and rainbows in the middle east, and oil flows like wine.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Since when did any men want to start and fight wars over how any women are abused and mistreated? Just asking.

 

[verte76]

Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive countries on the planet. That's what the "Princess" trilogy is about, how women get treated there. There's a character in there who's raped on a daily basis, but it's perfectly legal. She was forced to marry a cruel old man she did not know. Two of the main character's friend get killed in "honor killings" and it's perfectly legal. The regime won't let Amnesty International come in to to look at all of the human rights violations. The whole thing is a nightmare.

 

[martha]

Since when did any men want to start and fight wars over how any women are abused and mistreated? Just asking.

Only when it affects the men in power.

Like the Taliban.

 

[Irvine511]

in all fairness, there were calls to deal with the Taliban in the late 1990s because of their treatment of women. and this often came from conservative Christians.

believe it or not, i remember a "7th Heaven" episode on the Taliban way before 9-11.

 

[martha]

in all fairness, there were calls to deal with the Taliban in the late 1990s because of their treatment of women. and this often came from conservative Christians.

believe it or not, i remember a "7th Heaven" episode on the Taliban way before 9-11.

That makes me feel a little better, actually.

 

[Harry Vest]

I've been on this for years!!!
You're right - if the US really wanted to rid the world of Taliban-like regimes they would start with this sick and twisted country.
I always maintained that the US should have gone after Saudi Arabia instead of Iraq...and this was back during the first Gulf War. As bad as Saddam was at least women were basically given a fair shake.

 

[martha]

We'll be kissing Saudi Arabia's ass well into the next century.

 

[Butterscotch]

I have always been upset that we 'kissed their ass' while they were guilty of so many human rights violations. The hypocrisy stinks- if a country has money, or something else we want, we let all of their trespasses slide, yet someone else would be sanctioned, invaded, and condemned throughout the world. It's not right. Look at China. As soon as they became an ecomomic benefit to us, T-square and other atrocities were forgotten.