In this mailing: Valentina Colombo: Eroticized Violence, Savage Justice in Saudi Arabia Raif Badawi: From an Earlier Blog of Raif Badawi, Sentenced to 1000 Lashes, Jail, Fine in Saudi Arabia Eroticized Violence, Savage Justice in Saudi Arabia by Valentina Colombo  •  July 7, 2014 at 5:00 am "God is not fanatic; the ulema [religious scholars]... are." — Mohammed Charfi, Muslim intellectual. Saudi Arabia's behavior comes with the bought consent of the West, which would rather constantly reprimand and punish Israel than address the Arab and Muslim world's floggings, stonings, beheadings and amputations -- not to mention executing homosexuals, gender apartheid and the often merciless treatment of foreign workers. Such a double standard exposes that many Europeans who consider themselves moral and speak about "ethical investing" are, in fact, accessories to these Saudi crimes, and therefore themselves guilty of crimes against humanity. "He does not see this court as legitimate." — Samar Badawi, wife of human rights lawyer Walid Abu al-Khayr, who was sentenced by a Saudi court to 15 years in prison. Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger, has been sentenced to 1000 lashes, ten years in jail and a fine of $270,000 for a blog regarded by Saudi Arabia's regime as insulting Islam. "My commitment is…to reject any repression in the name of religion…a goal that we will reach in a peaceful and law-abiding way." — Raif Badawi Terrorism only exists, therefore, if and when it is directed at the Saudi regime, and may well mean just defeating Shiites. Saudi blogger Raif Badawi (left) and his lawyer Walid Abu al-Khayr. Saudi human rights lawyer Walid Abu al-Khayr, who defended blogger Raif Badawi, was sentenced yesterday, July 6, to 15 years in prison He was arrested on April 15, accused of: "inciting public opinion," "disobedience in matters of the sovereign," "lack of respect in dealings with the authorities," "offense of the judicial system," "inciting international organizations against the Saudi kingdom" and, finally, for having founded illegally, or without authorization, his association "Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia." He was also forbidden to travel for fifteen years after his release, and fined 200,000 riyals ($53,000) according to Abdullah al-Shihri of the Associated Press. His wife, Samar Badawi, said that he refused to sign the verdict and would not appeal the case, since "he does not see this court as legitimate," she said. Continue Reading Article From an Earlier Blog of Raif Badawi, Sentenced to 1000 Lashes, Jail, Fine in Saudi Arabia by Raif Badawi  •  July 7, 2014 at 4:30 am As others respect our difference with them, we should respect the differences that others have with us, and recall the great humanitarian sense of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. ... It requires courage to respect others' views, to appreciate others' beliefs choices along with their right to believe them. Illustration: Raif Badawi, silenced. The author, Raif Badawi, was arrested in Saudi Arabia on June 17, 2012 and held in Briman Prison, Jeddah. He was charged with the 'crimes' of co-founding the website "Saudi Arabian Liberals," and "offenses to Islamic precepts." On May 7, 2014, Badawi was sentenced by a Saudi court to 1,000 lashes of the whip, 10 years in jail and a fine of one million riyals ($270,000). Coinciding with the painful terrorist September eleventh events, which killed more than three thousand innocent people, the Muslims in that stricken city are demanding to build an Islamic center containing a mosque and community center in the same area where World Trade Center collapsed over the heads of those who died that painful day. Continue Reading Article

To subscribe to the this mailing list, go to http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/list_subscribe.php Gatestone Institute