Frequent readers of my blog know that I have a strong opinion on the United Nations: FIRE THEM ALL!!!
Un-elected, un-accountable, corrupt and arrogant beyond belief.
Frequent readers of my blog will also know that I was one of the first Western voices raising alarm over the horrific and unconscionable – frankly, inhuman – treatment Raif Badawi, the Saudi Liberal, had suffered simply for creating and running a website.
The fact remains that the corrupt and tyrannical theocracy that is Saudi Arabia has no business being accepted as an equal member in organizations that pretend to be a platform for civilized countries.
I mean – just try driving a car in SA while female!
Or sitting in a cafe without your owner (wali)!
Or being a 75-year-old widow and letting your nephew bring you bread…
Yeah…
Saudi Arabia is not exactly the bastion of ‘human rights’.
After much international outcry on behalf of Raif Badawi, he was permitted to appeal his sentence of 1000 lashes (that’s flogging, no ‘falsies’ here) and 5 years in prison just because his blogging ran afoul of the religious police and their fancy fetishes.
It is important to note that Raif is to be flogged in many instalments, because 1000 lashes at oncewould, effectively, remove the skin from the back part of his body and kill him long before the punishment could be carry out in full – which, of course, would spoil the whole ‘fun’.
So, instead, the punishment is given a bit at a time, giving the man time to at least partially heal and recover from it before the next instalment of torture. This both extends the physical suffering and creates incredible psychological torture as one is awaiting the next torture session.
Of course, any ‘healing break’ is too short to allow complete healing. This will lead to a progressively weaker and more sick Badawi at each ‘session’ – ensuring he will, eventually (but not too soon) die of his flogging.
The only good bit in this story is that his wife and babies are now safely in Canada – and I wish them all the best!
And, enough people have volunteered to take Raif’s place in each instalment of the floggings that, had the Saudis accepted the swap, he would be safe. At least there is some moral support in knowing that people were willing to put their hides on the line for him!
So, no sooner had the Saudi courts ruled and upheld the 1000 lashes and 10 years in jail (upped from 5 by an in-between court, I presume) than…
…and I kid you not…
…than the UN, in its wisdom, decided to host a summit on Human Rights IN SAUDI ARABIA!!!
Please, please, PLEASE!!!
Contact your political masters and beg them to get out of the cesspool of corruption that is the UN!
Xanthippa's Chamberpot 