KSA: Keep calm the change is coming!

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Shortly after KSA had criticized Norway‘s human right, Raif Badawi the founder of “Free Saudi Liberals" a website that discussed religion in the KSA was sentenced to 10 years jail , 1000 lashes and a fine of 1 million riyals ($266,600).

His website included critical articles of senior religious figures such as Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, according to Human Rights Watch. Raif Badawi was accused first by apostasy a crime which lead to death sentence. Later on, he was cleared of this charge and accused of "insulting Islam" .

In April, KSA went further by introducing “a series of new laws which define atheists as terrorists, according to Human Rights Watch” and “clamped down on all forms of political dissent and protests that could harm public order”.

I do not want to favor atheism over religion, but the way KSA saw by the first a danger that may tear down the great kingdom seems very logical to me. A country built on the power of religion and the illusion of some expired rules cannot stand for a long time while the wind of change is blowing in its corridors. These humble acts of revolution are a great evidence of a will of change and a desire to end a long life of dictatorship.

We live in a time when criticizing a prophet (with all my respect) is considered more dangerous than violating disastrously  human rights. I wonder if a day will come when Humanity is more evaluated than religion!

Rihab 

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When Saudi Arabia teaches Norway human rights lessons...

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During the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which is currently held in Geneva, Saudi Arabia and Russia have criticized Norway over its human rights record. 

According to The Independent, KSA accused Norway "of failing to protect its Muslim citizens and not doing enough to counter criticism of the prophet Mohammed and it also expressed concern at increasing cases of domestic violence, rape crimes and inequality in riches. Russia meanwhile called for Norway to clamp down on expressions of religious intolerance and  and criticized the country’s child welfare system. They also recommended that Norway improve its correctional facilities for those applying for asylum status". 

Halden Prison-Norway

Ironically, KSA is a country where the public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal, check the Humans Right Watch report  for year 2013 and Russia is a country that imprisoned three young women from the feminist punk band Pussy Riot for two years in very hard conditions over a 40-second political stunt in a Moscow cathedral that criticized Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church’s close relationship with the Kremlin among their many other acts (also detailed in the HRW report). When freed, the Pussy Riot members said that prison was time of 'endless humiliations'.

                                
 Saudi women driving campaign poster                     Pussy Riot members at trial                        

I am not in a position to defend Norway nor to attack KSA and Russia. I'm just pointing to the paradox (as described by the Norwegian Foreign Minister) in which "countries which do not support fundamental human rights have influence on the council".

Countries are like humans, some are rude, shameless and hypocrite beyond any level. 

Abir Lebbos

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