Friday, November 28, 2003
SILENCING MODERATE VIEWS IN SAUDI ARABIA
Michael Butler has sent me a couple of items regarding the crushing of moderate viewpoints in Saudi Arabia. From the NYT, here's an essay from Mansour al-Nogaidan, who has been sentenced to 75 lashes for writings critical of Wahabbi extremism and calling for freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia. He writes
During the holy fasting month of Ramadan, imams around the country stepped up their hate speech against liberals, advocates of women's rights, secularists, Christians and Jews — and many encouraged their congregations to do the same. I heard no sermons criticizing the people responsible for the attacks in Riyadh, in which innocent civilians and children were killed. The reason, I believe, is that these religious leaders sympathize with the criminals rather than the victims.
Then there's this, from arabianews.org, with more background on al-Nogaidan, indicating that the fatwa against him is from the Saudi "grand mufti, the highest religious authority in the country."
Allah akhbar, dude.
GB, THHotA
posted by Greg 5:57 PM
