Amnesty International: Raif Bedawi demo June 17 2016

June 20, 2016 — xanthippa

For those who do not know who Raif Badawi is:

He is a Saudi liberal who had run afoul of the theocratic dictatorship in Saudi Arabia – specifically for his classical liberal values.  He has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes – 100 of which had been administered, but the rest of which is only being held back by international public pressure.

100 lashes are difficult to survive.

1,000 lashes – a death sentence.

Intellectuals from around the world have volunteered to take a portion of the lashes on Raif’s behalf, but the Saudi government refuses to even acknowledge these offers.

Here is a video from yet another Amnesty International rally in front of the Canadian Saudi Embassy protesting the treatment of Raif Badawi:

 

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Protest against the lashing of Raif Badawi, 2nd of November, 2015, 11 am in front of the Saudi Embassy, Ottawa

November 1, 2015 — xanthippa

Who is Raif Badawi?

Raif Badawi, who blogged at ‘Free Saudi Liberals’ first rose to international prominence in June 2012 when he was arrested in his native Saudi Arabia under Cyber crime laws,for insulting Islam through electronic channels.  Later that year, apostasy was added to the charges against him.  If convicted, he could have faced the death penalty.

Following years of legal battles and international pressure, the final sentence Raif Badawi received is 10 years in jail, 1,000 lashes and a fine equivalent t $267,000.  His lawyer, Waleed Abdulkhair was sentenced to 15 years in jail for ‘undermining the authorities’…

After 50 of these lashed had been administered early in 2015 in front of a Jeddah mosque and hundreds of spectators, many people from all over the world had stepped up and offered to suffer a portion of Badawi’s lashes on his behalf.  Instead, the Saudi government announced that the rest of the lashing shall be postponed due to Badawi’s poor health condition.

Last week, Raif Badawi made news again for having been awarded the prestigious EU Sakharov prize for human rights – the latest one of the many international prizes for writing, human rights and bravery that he has already been honoured with.

Raif Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, who lives with their three daughters in Canada since having received political asylum here in 2013, had been notified that the lashing will resume.

Which brings us to the protest:

Date:  Monday, November 2nd 2015

Time:  11:00 am to 12:00 noon

Place:  Saudi Arabian Embassy, 201 Sussex St., Ottawa

It is unthinkable that in today’s modern world, a young man should be beaten to death by his government simply for speaking as a sovereign human being.

Let’s all come out and show our support for Raif Badawi and to protest the barbarity that is Sharia!!!

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Raif Badawi, Saudi Arabia and the corruption that is UN

June 9, 2015 — xanthippa

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!

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