Saudi Arabia is teaching Isis a lesson in cruelty, yet the UK continues to defend them

 –

How medieval does a regime have to be before ministers pause to consider the relationship?

Francis Wheen, The Independent,  June 16, 2015

 Share
2K
743
1
3K

Three years ago today, Saudi Arabian police arrested Raif Badawi for the crime of running a website “that propagates liberal thought”. His blog had put the case for secularism in observations such as this: “States which are based on religion confine their people in the circle of faith and fear.”

As if to prove his point, a Sharia court hauled Badawi back into the fearful circle, sentencing him to 600 lashes and seven years in jail for “going beyond the realm of obedience”. Last year, deciding that he had been let off too lightly, a judge upped the punishment to 1,000 lashes and 10 years’ imprisonment plus a fine of one million riyal (about £170,000).

Continues >>

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.