This one goes out to all you MBS fans who thought that the Crown Prince was finally ushering in the dawn of “moderate Islam” in Saudi Arabia. In reality, he is overseeing reforms to a certain extent, as he wants to attract foreign investment and secure President Trump’s support against the Islamic Republic of Iran. But only to a certain extent.
“Saudi Arabia Detains Activists Who Pushed to End Ban on Women Driving,” by Ben Hubbard, New York Times, May 18, 2018:
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Saudi Arabia has detained at least five people connected to the campaign to end the kingdom’s longtime ban on women driving, despite the fact that the government has promised to lift the ban next month, associates of the detainees said on Friday.
The Saudi government has billed the lifting of the driving ban as part of a reform push spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The changes have also included curtailing the powers of the religious authorities and expanding the entertainment options available in the conservative kingdom.
In the establishment media, you’re a “conservative” if you support strict application of Sharia, and a “conservative” if you oppose strict application of Sharia.
But those efforts have coincided with waves of arrests that have scooped up clerics, businessmen, members of the royal family and activists who have a history of challenging the government’s positions. Many of them have not been officially charged with crimes despite having been held for months.
In a message on Twitter early Saturday, the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed that seven people had been arrested after being accused of communicating with “foreign entities,” infiltrating the government and providing financial support to “hostile elements abroad to undermine the security and stability of the kingdom.”…
Proud Kaafir says
There is a doubt that the crown prince is already killed in last drone strike against the palace. This is a confirmation that he is killed or he is very seriously injured that he can not handle the affairs for now.
Linda says
No one has really seen him since the April attack, so this is a possibility. There would be lots of people who would not like the changes he wanted to implement. I would like to see that he’s o.k. I had the impression that he might be honestly trying to change things. However, if it is him ordering detention of conservatives on both sides, I guess that’s equal opportunity arresting.
gravenimage says
With all respect, Proud Kaafir, your belief that the latest Saudi monarch is actually a real reformer of Islam is not borne out.
aguysomewhere says
Saudi Arabia and Iran are two sides of the same coin. It must however be noted that in Iran women can drive, as such a woman can leave the house and go pretty much where she wants, this is the benefit of mobility. This is exactly what the Saudis want to prevent by preventing women from driving.
Saudi Arabia has been smart enough to throw vast amounts of money at the USA to keep it drunk on oil money, drunk enough to overlook many of it’s human rights abuses.
Now here is a mindfucker of a question, what happens if the muslim population in the USA outgrows the jewish, and also what happens if in European countries the muslim population reaches above 30%, what will be the foreign policy towards islamic countries, Israel etc.?
Saudi Arabia is an enemy of the west and freedom loving humans. They should not be courted. We shouldn’t give them one cent for their oil. There is something called horizontal drilling with which we can suck that oil right out from under their feet.
I always wonder why are Russia and Venezuela are put aside as the enemy. I mean women can drive there, they live a Western lifestyle. They love to party like Westerners. Rum, Vodka, sexy girls, pork ribs on the grill(ah yesssss!). Women are free to dress how they want and practice free sexuality. Ok socialism in Vene isn’t my cup of tea but I’l take that over an Allah Akbar any day. Plus they are Christians. A dollar given to Vene or Russia will never go towards the genociders against Christianity.
15 of 19 911 hijackers were Saudi. Bin Laden=Saudi. And all the hijackers were Sunni muslims.
Linda says
A few things about your comment: You never heard that politics makes strange bedfellows. It isn’t all about women’s rights. Socialists and communists aren’t such great friends of the West either. Bin Laden’s father was from Yemen and his mother was from Syria, so if he was Saudi Arabian, he was the first generation.
KJW says
One of the goals of Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR and like-minded Muslim’s is when their power increases in government is to weaken Israel, especially in the US with the funds we give Israel. This was outright said.
The EU and European Commision does not like Israel since their 1970s deals with the oil countries and has seen the US as a wrench in the fan, thus all the anti-Israel teaching and favoritism towards Palestinians and their delusional or lying of peace between the two countries. Not going to happen. Hamad clearly stYes it’s fight unto death and taking over Israel not just Jerusalem.
Since Muslim Brotherhood folks have been appointed in government positions, accelerated under Obama but originated under Bill Clinton in the early 90s, it makes you wonder why enemies of Israel and is citizens, would be allowed to infiltrate our government.
Mind you, while Bill Clinton was appeasing MB people, the first attack on the World Trade Center was in 1993 when they bomber the garage hoping that would bring down the building. Then Bill had the chance to get Bin Laden in the late 90s but let him skip through his fingers. Hmm. We really have a bunch of enemies within.
gravenimage says
Women can also be stoned to death in Iran. Neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia are exactly bastions of equal rights.
Guy Forester says
So, is anyone really surprised? The only real news would be the announcement of a new king and crown prince.
More of the usual internal struggles to see who is the king of the hill over there. More internal house of Saud struggles for power. The house of Saud is not particularly popular outside of the Nejd and relies on the loyalty of several linked families and wealthy associates to stay in power. The religious authorities booted the eldest Saud son from the kingship and put a lot of conditions on the ones subsequent to Faisal prior to the Ulama signing off on the selection.
Granddaddy says
Given the ridiculous bag with eye-holes the women have to wear over there, it’s a wonder they can see even when they’re walking. So I can see how the men might not want them to drive. On the other hand, I tend to go with the question, What does this have to do with anything? I don’t know what life is like for the ordinary Muslim over there, but just because the Saudis are rich doesn’t mean the ordinary Muhammad is. Muslima driving her kids early to madrasa in the suburbs to beat the rush to work on the expressway doesn’t sound very likely to me. More likely, this is just propaganda. They probably think it funny that we should care if their women can drive.
Linda says
How they live over there shouldn’t bother us. It’s just that we don’t want them coming over here to kill us. As far as I understand it, Arabs lived a bedouin life-style and were reasonably happy in their own way until about the 1950s when they started to develop oil and the Saudis got rich. Then, there were the Saudi royal family living life to excess and the ordinary people who lived under strict Wahhabism. Then, maybe the people resented the royal family, but that was something for them to work out internally. However, if they tried to do that, the people would likely wind up in Chop Chop Square, so they displace their discontent onto the “Great Satan” and the “Little Satan”, (but maybe those are Iranian terms), and the rest of the world. It’s like they’re nouveau riche and don’t know how to behave as good citizens of the world yet, so they cause problems for us when they come to visit. I think the people would be just as happy if they all went back to living as though they were still in the 7th century because they’re all caught in that time warp anyway. If you ask them whether they’d rather have Western law (which was developed and refined over centuries) or Sharia law, hands down, they’ll say, “Sharia Law”. Less than 100 years ago, they were all bedouins out in the desert and we expect them to come up to speed with the 21st century just because we are. It isn’t going to happen over night.
Chris Malan says
I’ve driven in Saudi Arabia for more than a year. It’s a nightmare. It’s put your foot down and inshallah (God willing) you’ll arrive alive. If it’s not God’s will, you won’t be involved in an accident, so why worry or take care? People regularly go 120Km/h (70mph) in built up areas.
Any woman in her right mind will pray that they don’t have to drive there.
Linda says
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that. Do you have statistics on that?
gravenimage says
I think Jay Boo was being sarcastic.
Linda says
This is what I found about MBS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6s6U-umitg
If the Royal Family killed him just because he wants to bring in reforms, they may have hastened their own demise, too. I hope they go to hell and take the Wahhabis and the rest with them.
Linda says
Now I found this video saying that maybe Hamza bin Laden, (Osama bin Laden’s son), who now oversees al Qaeda may have killed MbS in the April attack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY8yDiyv9_A
Linda says
It looks like MbS was assassinated. I’d like to know which of those s.o.b.’s did this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMaCIs-Skyw
gravenimage says
Saudi Arabia detains activists who pushed to end ban on women driving
This one goes out to all you MBS fans who thought that the Crown Prince was finally ushering in the dawn of “moderate Islam” in Saudi Arabia.
………………………….
Grimly hardly a surprise…
gravenimage says
By the way, those who think MBS is dead are mistaken:
“Kremlin: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit Russia next week”
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1318181/saudi-arabia