Posted on 11/28/2012 3:05:46 PM PST by bayouranger
Saudi King Abdullah is rumoured to be clinically dead. If the rumours are true then the death of a great reformist will bring sycophantic tributes from weapon-selling oil-guzzling nations. But by whose standards is the Guardian of the Kingdom a reformist?
Perhaps in comparison to the Taliban King Abdullah could be considered reformist, but not by any standards in the west. Digital Journal reported the Saudi monarch has been acclaimed as topping the list of the 500 most influential personalities in the Muslim world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC). The RISSC proclaimed the King's assurance of women’s rights and his efforts in combating religious fascists.
Certainly King Abdullah made history by giving Saudi women the right to vote in Sept. 2011. As yet no woman has voted in the Kingdom and the ruling could be revoked by a subsequent successor to the Saudi throne. He has hardly championed women's right to drive: the Kingdom remains the only country in the world that imposes a ban on women driving, in spite of a campaign by Saudi women to overturn the diktat.
Saudi women are forced to wear the all encompassing black abaya: are currently electronically monitored; and have less rights than a male child. Although their job opportunities are increasing with the ban on males selling women's lingerie, they are routinely subjected to harsh discipline imposed by the all important male members of their family.
The Kingdom also denies basic rights to the huge influx of foreign workers, cancelling work contracts with several countries which complained their citizens should have the right not to be abused. Saudi citizens are perfectly within their rights to keep the passports of foreign workers, leaving women in particular in a vulnerable position if they happen to work for a sex-crazed Saudi or a household that routinely fails to pay wages and delights in a spot of physical torture.
Regarding King Abdullah's combating religious fascists, there are less terror attacks within the Kingdom now. However, Saudi funds the spread of Salafism throughout the world. Salafists like to impose the Saudi version of strict sharia law on unwilling populations; happily destroy ancient statues which clash with their sense of culture; allow women no freedom in their choice of dress; enjoy a spot of stoning, beheading and hand lopping: and ban homosexuality and alcohol. Reminiscent of England's Cromwell years, the Salafists want everyone to be as miserable as they are by outlawing fun.
The notion of King Abdullah curtailing the activities of religious fascists hardly holds up as he allows complete leeway to the great representative of Islam, Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh. In recent months the Grand Mufti has been quick to issue fatwas and opinions, including a fatwa against Saudis' speaking to foreign media and another that decreed it "necessary to destroy all the churches" in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Kingdom has shown itself to be a great supporter of the so-called "Arab Spring", supporting the overthrow of the current Syrian regime and the ousting of Colonel Gaddafi. Saudi openly supports the overthrow of Iran, as Sunni ruled Saudi Arabia has no truck with those pesky Shiites. However, no protests are allowed in Saudi itself and the Kingdom was quick to send troops and tanks to defend the regime of the neighbouring Bahrain monarch that believes in silencing his opponents. Bahrain is home to America's 5th fleet of course so Saudi Arabia was free to get on with suppressing the protesters objecting to the al-Khalifa regime.
The Saudi monarchy has a reputation for turning a blind eye to the nefarious activities of members of the extended royal clan. While drugs, booze and homosexuality are banned for the common folk, many Saudi royals are known for their indulgence, highlighting the hypocrisy of oil-rich elite. Witness the antics of Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud, who murdered his servant lover in a London hotel; Saudi Prince Nayef bin Sultan bin Fawwaz al-Shaalan and his role in drug smuggling; and the excesses of younger royals reported by WikiLeaks.
The Saudi monarch presumably supports the silencing of his own population as he has absolute power in the Kingdom. Not only are protests suppressed and protesters thrown in dank prison cells without trial, Internet blasphemers also get room and board in Saudi jails. Hamza Kashgari is still languishing in jail after airing his doubts about Prophet Mohammed on Twitter. His Saudi supporters have been threatened.
King Abdullah may give the impression of being a benign senior citizen who has earned the respect of President's and the powerful, but Saudi Arabia remains mired in the dark ages as far as personal freedoms are concerned. If the need for oil and weapons sales dried up tomorrow, who would applaud King Abdullah as a great reformer?
The royals are big at international water conferences. They have set up some big fancy labratories and fund a lot of desalination research. Their water desalination research results are not as good as the Israelis water desalination research results.
But they’re players.
As a result of the world wide research into water desalination — every couple years the costs of water desalination notch downward.
Eventually, in a decade of two the costs of water desalination will be cheap enough for field crops. Then the deserts will be turned green and the world will change. This is something most people in the water desalination business are aware of. Including the saudi royals.
They tell their people that this green desert is in their future. They do this with the same confidence that the USA is promised their future is in space. “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
The royals are big at international water conferences. They have set up some big fancy labratories and fund a lot of desalination research. Their water desalination research results are not as good as the Israelis water desalination research results.
But they’re players.
As a result of the world wide research into water desalination — every couple years the costs of water desalination notch downward.
Eventually, in a decade of two the costs of water desalination will be cheap enough for field crops. Then the deserts will be turned green and the world will change. This is something most people in the water desalination business are aware of. Including the saudi royals.
They tell their people that this green desert is in their future. They do this with the same confidence that the USA is promised their future is in space. “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
I like the graphic. The dead king? Not at all.
Bandar for King.
If Freepers only knew the reality of Saudi Arabia........ ignorance is bliss
Having spent two glorious years in the Magic Kingdom, I am pretty much aware of the reality of life there.
well, how can you drive wearing this?
oh, wait, you can drive this:
Yet the Saudi soil has not got the nutrients to grow crops even if there was water there....
You can already see green crop circles in both Saudi Arabia and Libya from space. The Saudis get their water from expensive and uncompetitive desalinized water. They Libyans get their water from the enormous aquifer that underlies the Sahara from Morocco to Egypt
We know. Koranimals & their sympathizers are the filthiest of the half-ape race that slithers on the face of the Earth.
PressTV claims that it is in a coma, & brain dead but that pretty much describes every saudi that I’ve ever seen.
Brain dead. Even across all of islam.
Spread it around.
I truly enjoy watching you decay.
Draw your syringe..fill it with what keeps you temporarily alive and know that I’m smiling. Your time is near.
;7)
I didn't know that. howeverI still believe that the soil in KSA is not fertile, what are they doing? importing topsoil as well?
You knowledge is flawed and likely the result of not getting out into the real world
can’t say I know what the saudis are doing as far as making their soil fertile. certainly they have the bucks to throw down topsoil if need be.
a lot of deserts all over the world are unsuitable for crops even if they have water because the soil is salty or alkali or what have you — but likely some parts of the world’s desert have sufficient topsoil to support crops if water is added. possibly the same holds true for the saudis.
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