• Saudi Arabia's new Counter Terrorism law can prosecute any dissenters, IE Protesters, Anyone calling
    25 replies, posted
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/02/02/world/middleeast/ap-ml-saudi-arabia.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0[/url] [quote]DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia put into effect a sweeping new counterterrorism law Sunday that human rights activists say allows the kingdom to prosecute as a terrorist anyone who demands reform, exposes corruption or otherwise engages in dissent. [b]The law states that any act that "undermines" the state or society, including calls for regime change in Saudi Arabia, can be tried as an act of terrorism. It also grants security services broad powers to raid homes and track phone calls and Internet activity.[/b] Human rights activists were alarmed by the law and said it is clearly aimed at keeping the kingdom's ruling Al Saud family firmly in control amid the demands for democratic reform that have grown louder since the Arab Spring protests that shook the region in 2011 and toppled longtime autocrats. Saudi activist Abdulaziz al-Shubaily described the law as a "catastrophe." And Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle warned: "The new law is draconian in spirit and letter, and there is every reason to fear that the authorities will easily and eagerly use it against peaceful dissidents."[/quote] [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabias-new-antiterrorism-law-to-criminalise-any-form-of-dissent--including-demanding-political-reform-and-exposing-corruption-9105249.html[/url] [quote]Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s last absolute monarchies. All decisions are centred in the hands of 89-year-old King Abdullah. There is no parliament. There is little written law and judges – implementing the country’s strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam – have broad leeway to impose verdicts and sentences.[b] An attempt to pass a similar counter-terrorism law in 2011 was shelved after rights groups in Saudi Arabia and abroad leaked a copy online. Since then, dozens of activists have been detained and a prominent rights group was shut down. The new law defines terrorism as any criminal act that “destabilises the society’s security or the state’s stability or exposes its national unity to harm”. It also states that terrorist acts include “disabling the ruling system” or “offending the nation’s reputation”[/b].[/quote]
This is not good, my friend in UAE is a part of a fairly vocal reform group.
It's like they haven't paid attention, or don't care, about what's happened in the Ukraine recently. America's not going to make a fuss unless the cost of oil goes up too much, or supply shortages happen. Watch. Oil first, human rights second.
america won't get involved because they are our biggest islamic ally in the middle east not because of "herpderp oil!" the saudi's represent one of the OPEC nations also theres not much we can do anyways other than say its a bad law and push for reforms through our diplomats
Yeah fuck em
holy shit this is fucking bad.
article is missing for me
Would support Arab Spring 2014 in this case. This is a patently bad idea, and moderates will do well to oppose this.
How the fuck does the US get away with supporting Saudi Arabia? Do we not realize how immensely hypocritical that is?
[QUOTE=Kyle902;43781418]How the fuck does the US get away with supporting Saudi Arabia? Do we not realize how immensely hypocritical that is?[/QUOTE] The modern day US is BUILT on hypocrisy.
shit i have a friend in the UAE and she is very vocal about not liking it there
[QUOTE=sltungle;43781519]The modern day US is BUILT on hypocrisy.[/QUOTE] You mean the best way to promote western ideals [I] isnt [/I] to back arguably the worst regime in the middle east? shocking
What's the purpose of arbitrarily throwing your name in the title
[QUOTE=DropDeadTed;43781562]What's the purpose of arbitrarily throwing your name in the title[/QUOTE] The OP isn't commenting silly, Paul McCartney is just making political commentary from the grave!
Sounds like a jump back to the 6th century.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;43781574]The OP isn't commenting silly, Paul McCartney is just making political commentary from the grave![/QUOTE] Clearly I know it's his username, but why couldn't he just put it in the OP? It looks extraneous being in the title.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;43781574]The OP isn't commenting silly, Paul McCartney is just making political commentary from the grave![/QUOTE] um you do know Paul is still alive right
Saudi Arabia, as a country, and where human rights are concerned, has few redeeming qualities if any, and I know of none of them. I lived in the country for six years, and while, as with anywhere else in the world, you occasionally run into some great people, the country itself is a shithole, overtly constructed for the benefit of the most rich and powerful members of the pale-skinned Arab race and absolutely nobody else.
[quote]The law states that any act that "undermines" the state or society, including calls for regime change in [country], can be tried as an act of terrorism[/quote] You know this is the same for almost every country on earth, right?
[QUOTE=JgcxCub;43785344]You know this is the same for almost every country on earth, right?[/QUOTE] Not those where free speech is valued.
[QUOTE=JgcxCub;43785344]You know this is the same for almost every country on earth, right?[/QUOTE] In Saudi arabia, questioning anything that the state does is undermining it since it says that the King is wrong. The glory of absolute monarchy. [editline]4th February 2014[/editline] Updated the OP with better links. One of them has this fine section of the bill. [quote]The new law defines terrorism as any criminal act that “destabilises the society’s security or the state’s stability or exposes its national unity to harm”. It also states that terrorist acts include “disabling the ruling system” or “offending the nation’s reputation”.[/quote]
[QUOTE=Aircraft;43779368]This is not good, my friend in UAE is a part of a fairly vocal reform group.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=EnlightenDead;43781532]shit i have a friend in the UAE and she is very vocal about not liking it there[/QUOTE] The article's signed UAE but the country in question is Saudi Arabia, sillies.
[QUOTE=DrTaxi;43790052]The article's signed UAE but the country in question is Saudi Arabia, sillies.[/QUOTE] Yes he is in Dubai but he goes over to Hofuf many times and that is why I am worried.
The house of Saud is definitely a family I wouldn't feel bad for if something bad were to happen to them.
[QUOTE=Lonestriper;43790812]The house of Saud is definitely a family I wouldn't feel bad for if something bad were to happen to them.[/QUOTE] They are literally responsible for over 60 percent of worldwide terrorism and their foreign policy is threatening other countries with terrorism. I fucking hate Wahhabi's.
[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;43779530]It's like they haven't paid attention, or don't care, about what's happened in the Ukraine recently. America's not going to make a fuss unless the cost of oil goes up too much, or supply shortages happen. Watch. Oil first, human rights second.[/QUOTE] Why should America get involved? We have so many issues back home that we shouldn't have to focus on others.
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