About Raif Badawi: “On 17 June 2012, he was arrested on a charge of insulting Islam through electronic channels, and in December of that year was also cited for apostasy, a conviction which carries an automatic death sentence. Human Rights Watch stated that Raif’s website had hosted material criticising ‘senior religious figures’. Raif had also […]
Canada: House of Commons votes to grant citizenship to Raif Badawi, imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for insulting Islam
All Members of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons voted in favor of a motion to “demand” that jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose wife Ensaf Haidar lives in Canada, be given Canadian citizenship. The motion, introduced by the Bloc Québécois, is non-binding, but it puts a moral pressure on Saudi Arabia as it […]
Saudi wife of man imprisoned for “insulting Islam”: “We grew up from childhood hating, cursing Jews”
This will only come as a surprise to those who are unaware that the Qur’an depicts the Jews as inveterately evil and bent on destroying the well-being of the Muslims. They are the strongest of all people in enmity toward the Muslims (5:82); they fabricate things and falsely ascribe them to Allah (2:79; 3:75, 3:181); […]
Vice President Pence demands U.S. ally Saudi Arabia release Raif Badawi, imprisoned for insulting Islam
Vice President Mike Pence has called on U.S. ally Saudi Arabia to “release Raif Badawi, a blogger imprisoned for reportedly insulting Islam.” In the midst of Saudi Arabia telling the world that it is modernizing, Raif Badawi remains in jail, and in August of last year, Raif Badawi’s sister Samar — among other women’s rights […]
Robert Spencer meets with Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi, imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for insulting Islam
On Tuesday and Wednesday I had the great honor of meeting with Ensaf Haidar, the wife of the heroic and courageous Raif Badawi. About Raif Badawi: “On 17 June 2012, he was arrested on a charge of insulting Islam through electronic channels, and in December of that year was also cited for apostasy, a conviction […]
What is Canada Trying to Accomplish in Standing Against Saudi Arabia?
Following Saudi Arabia’s arrest of two more women’s rights activists, as part of the government’s crackdown on dissidents, Canada responded by demanding the release of the women and accusing Saudi Arabia of human rights violations. Well-known activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada were among those arrested. Samar is the sister of Raif Badawi, a humanitarian […]
Saudi Arabia: Raif Badawi’s sister among women’s rights activists arrested, belying claims of modernization
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 […]
Saudi Arabia: Crowd was “cheering like it was a beach party” as man was publicly flogged for “insulting Islam”
We don’t flog people for “insulting Islam” in the free world. We just excoriate them as “Islamophobes” and deny them all social media platforms. We are much more civilized. “‘They were cheering like it was a beach party’: Wife of jailed Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes shares horrific footage of him during flogging that […]
Saudi Arabia: Muslim mob screamed “Allahu akbar” as man was lashed in front of mosque for insulting Islam
Some in the crowd asserted that he should have been beheaded, to the murmured agreement of other onlookers. A glimpse into the West’s future: “‘The crowd were shouting Allahu Akbar. A man was striking Raif with all his might’: Wife of Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes reveal horror as she saw him punished,” MailOnline, […]
Saudi Supreme Court upholds guilty verdict against blogger for insulting Islam
In the enlightened West, we don’t jail and flog people for insulting Islam. We believe in the freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas, including the right to criticize ideas one finds wanting in whatever way. In the free and enlightened West, the only thing that will happen to you if you are […]