Justice of a Different Kind
By Sher Ali
UC Riverside, CA
Last week, a Pakistani was beheaded after being convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia. During last year alone, the Kingdom has beheaded a record 153 people.
Saudi Arabia has one of the most oppressive governments in the world. Despite the negative press, America and Britain have maintained cordial relations with Saudi Arabia: King Abdullah uses his blessed economy to forge closer ties with the elite countries.
The justice system in Saudi Arabia is governed by a strict religious interpretation. Wahabism is puritanical: the legal system allows corporal punishment and public flogging. Led by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the government is able to regulate the morality of the citizens in Saudi Arabia. Employed directly at the order of the current monarch King Abdullah, this religious police have an extremely large task force. They spend their time ensuring that everyone obeys and acts according to the moral code. It reminds you of the movie ‘V for Vendetta’ in which a fascist society uses various techniques to control the society. But in the Saudi society, there is no hero to break the shackles.
Saudi Arabia’s legal system needs reforms. In America, one can buy a Qur’an, Torah or Bible without a problem. In contrast, a bible in one’s possession in Saudi Arabia can get him arrested and deported. In the past, people have been beheaded for owning bibles!
For minorities of all types, Saudi Arabia reminds one of the infamous Taliban rule. Despite the disconcerting situation, we see many First World countries conveniently ignore the shortcomings as Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich country and a frontline state in the war against terror. Saudi Arabia extended military support in Iraq. I suppose this is the reason why our government ignores the oppression in that country.
The life the women lead in the Kingdom is one of oppression. They cannot own land or travel abroad without the permission of the husband in the male-dominated society. In public, if women are seen with men they are arrested. Recently, an American woman was arrested for sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop with a group of men. The mother of three was released several days later, with a statement from the police that women cannot sit in public as it was against the law and against the religion. There are several other similar stories that vividly testify to the life of servitude led by women in Saudi Arabia. The country is the only one in the world which has laws forbidding women from driving and voting.
Recently, President Bush sold twenty billion dollars of arms to Saudi Arabia. I doubt if the President asked in the meeting he had with King Abdullah why most of the men involved in the 9/11 attacks came from Saudi Arabia. As Iraq and Afghanistan remain under occupation, America has repeatedly turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia. America has approached the issue regarding Saudi Arabia with the swift motto “If you need it, ignore it”.
