Human Rights Watch has reported:
Saudi Arabia has arrested two more women’s rights activists, the latest to be swept up in a government crackdown on activists, clerics and journalists…More than a dozen women’s rights activists have been targeted since May. Most campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the kingdom’s male guardianship system
Well-known activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada were among those arrested. Samar is the sister of Raif Badawi, a humanitarian writer and dissident who was “flogged in public 50 times in January. He has 950 lashes and nearly a decade in prison left to serve – simply for blogging about free speech.”
Saudi Arabia recently bought former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for $12,000,000 to promote to the world the claim that it is modernizing.
“Saudi Arabia arrests two more women’s rights activists: rights group,” Reuters, August 1, 2018:
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has arrested two more women’s rights activists, the latest to be swept up in a government crackdown on activists, clerics and journalists, an international rights group said on Wednesday.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said authorities arrested Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah in the past two days.
More than a dozen women’s rights activists have been targeted since May. Most campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the kingdom’s male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain the consent of a male relative for major decisions.
The arrests are at odds with the progressive image the government has projected this year under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Government spokesmen did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest reports.
Badawi has received the United States’ International Women of Courage Award in 2012 for challenging the guardianship system, and was among the first women who signed a petition calling on the government to allow women to drive, vote and run in local elections.
Sadah, from the restive Shi’ite-majority Qatif province, has also campaigned to abolish the guardianship system and the right to drive.
“The arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah signal that the Saudi authorities see any peaceful dissent, whether past or present, as a threat to their autocratic rule,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.
“Saudi authorities have targeted and harassed Badawi for years. In addition to her advocacy for women’s equality, she has campaigned energetically for both her former husband and her brother to be released from prison,” the statement added….
Billy Chickens says
Can the devil be modernized? Changed to be better? No. Therefore Islam can never be modernized, changed or become better.
Islam is evil. Since it cannot be eradicated any more than the devil can, it needs to be ignored and contained – preferably in the Antarctic.
What Islam doesn’t need is for the West to be indulgent and welcome it. That’s akin to welcoming Lucifer into your home. When one welcomes Lucifer into their midst they eventually turn into Satanists. Therefore welcoming Islam will have the same result – the West will become Islamic.
Charlie says
Muslim political apologists who use their Islam as an identity and allege discrimination seem reluctant to confront the horrific treatment of people like Raif Badawi, Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada. They are so quick to assert “Islamophobia” when I recite the Hadith of Bukhari on the true Sharia sentence for professed atheism. Atheists are charged as apostates and executed by beheading. Saudi Arabia has relaxed the punishment to a decade in prison and multiple sessions of public flogging. I am so tired of leftists and media slandering people with legitimate critical concerns. Self-evidence is the true American way. CNN and MSNBC etc…are unAmerican.
common sense says
Sorry to be off topic. I’m sure many of you know that Tommy Robinson is out, interview with Carlson is on Fox news. Crazy story mistreated by his own country for “breeching the peace”.
The UK is an Orwellian nightmare.
gravenimage says
Glad Fox News is covering this story.
FYI says
The Chinese communists under Mao Zedong had a cunning trick called “Let a hundred flowers bloom” pretending to offer freedom of opinion and expression to people who would later be singled out as enemies.Thus,the dissenting voices would reveal themselves,mistakenly thinking that this apparent freedom would allow their opinions to be considered:in fact,they were merely making themselves targets for arrest,persecution and oppression.Freedom of expression was merely an illusion:the authorities had no intention of permitting dissent.They simply wanted the dissenters to reveal themselves so that they could be arrested.
The Saudi Government seems to be playing a similar cunning trick.
balam says
FYI: You are spot on.Thanks for this information.
MFritz says
This “modernisation” is just a cheap show to give the Western countries the impression that Saudi Arabia will “improve”. Nothing is further from the truth.
Each and every “reform” can be reversed and/or stopped at any time the king sees fit. My impression is that the Saudis want to buy into Western countries as long as their oil has any value. And if they get nuclear weapons (capability) along the line, all the better.
This country is one of the MAJOR supporters of international terroism and mass indoctrination towards radicalisation and violence.
StellaSaidSo says
Indeed, MFritz, the vast majority of mosques in the West are funded by Saudi Arabia.
balam says
Also most of the TERRORISM in the WEST by SAUDI ARABIA because ISLAM AND TERRORISM ARE THE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.the coin minted by Mohammad who claimed: HAVE BEEN MADE VICTORIOUS WITH TERROR. Sahih Bokhari 4:52:220
balam says
Young girls are being raped and murdered every day n Pakistan and some times by their own relatives.Islamic culture,society and religion are responsible for this Depravity Islam can never be reformed and nor can the Muslims ever change .It is so very SAD!!!
gravenimage says
Saudi Arabia: Raif Badawi’s sister among women’s rights activists arrested, belying claims of modernization
…………………..
I fear for these poor women.
The more I hear about all the “reform” happening in Saudi Arabia, the less it actually appears to be occurring…
I can’t say I’m surprised. But how many in the West are hearing these stories, and not just the original Taqiyya?
infidel says
So all these modernization drives by Salman was after all that… TAQIYYA.. I knew it at that very time when he spoke… There is NO HOPE for this cancer to get right… It will bring down the entire planet along with it, unless, political leaders of the non-Muslim free world summon enough guts to deal with this pestilence once for all.
infidel says
U have to just look at the N number of times Pakistan has used Taqiyya and announced Peace at the border with India… only to turn around and attack once again….We Indians are used to this and so also the Israelis from the Palestinians…In the light of all these, I would often say: HOW THE HELL CAN SAUDI REFORM?? NEVER!!!!
infidel says
Red hot taqiyya … now unearthed.