their country - their laws On Oct 6, 11:53 am, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > Saudi Arabia: Islamic Supremacist "Police" to "Set Up Human Rights Unit" > -- Woman Rights Activist Calls It "Biggest Joke in > History"http://www.realcourage.org/2009/10/saudi-arabia-islamic-supremacist-p... > -- Saudi vice police's move to create human rights division described as > biggest joke in historyhttp://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-124759.html > -- Stratfor reports: "Saudi Arabia: 'Religious Police' To Set Up > Human-Rights > Unit"http://www.stratfor.com/memberships/146629/sitrep/20091005_saudi_arab... > Saudi Arabia: Islamic Supremacist “Police” to “Set Up Human Rights Unit” — > Woman Rights Activist Calls It “Biggest Joke in History” > > By R.E.A.L. Organization <http://www.realcourage.org/author/realcourage/> • > on October 5, 2009 > > – “Jerusalem/Riyadh, Oct 5 : A plan by Saudi Arabia’s vice police to set up > a human-rights division within its ranks to improve its image has been > described as the biggest joke in history by human rights > activists.” > – “‘This is the best joke in history. The commission and human rights? How > can two opposites sit together! Get real. The commission and its activities > go completely against human rights and freedom,’ wrote A-Salihi.” > – “The Jerusalem Post quoted Wajiha Al-Huweidar, a Saudi human-rights > activist, as saying the move was nothing short of hypocritical.” > – “‘Since when is interfering in people’s private lives part of the > human-rights agenda?’ she asked The Media Line rhetorically. ‘It reflects > what they do. They harass people all year long and during holidays they give > away candy to people,’ Al-Huweidar said.” > – “‘The religious police know very well that most Saudis want to see them > disappear from streets and public places, because they only represent > aggressiveness and oppression,’ Al-Huweidar said.” > – “‘I think the Saudi government has realized that its reputation is damaged > worldwide and its image is ruined among Saudis, so now they are trying to > beautify this repressive institution by using a new slogan… The religious > police have to understand their time is over and they have to go,’ he > added.” > – “Other human-rights activists welcomed the idea. ‘We think this is a good > thing and an appropriate step,’ Muflih Al-Qahtani, president of the Saudi > National Society for Human Rights, told The Media Line. ‘We hope this unit > will play an active role in spreading the culture of human rights and work > on protecting people from any violations they are exposed to,’ Al-Qahtani > said. ‘It should be noted that the recent changes in the way the members of > the commission have dealt with issues, and their efforts to become closer to > the different social levels, indicates a desire to protect rights,’ he > added.” > – “The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, > the kingdom’s religious police, has come under fire over the past few years > for their strict and sometimes brutal clamp-downs on what is perceived as > un-Islamic behavior, fueling international criticism of Saudi Arabia’s > human-rights record.” > – “The organization enforces religious rules such as a ban on men and women > mixing, Islamic dress code, prayer attendance and the prohibition on the > possession and consumption of alcohol.” > – “The features of the restructured commission would include restructuring > the legal administration and creating new units, among them one that will > deal with human rights.” > – “This new unit will begin operating shortly under the direct supervision > of the commission’’s director and it will deal with human rights ‘in accord > with just Islamic principles and international rights treaties.’” > – “The decision to set up the human-rights unit coincides with several cases > for which Saudi religious authorities are coming under scrutiny from > human-rights organizations.” > – “Saudi Arabia is governed by a strict interpretation of Islamic law known > as Wahhabism. Earlier this year Saudi King Abdallah Bin Abd Al-Aziz > initiated sweeping reforms which included firing the head of the religious > police. It is thought that the reforms were an effort to moderate the > country’s leadership and present to the West a more toned-down image of the > Saudi kingdom.” > > Stratfor reports: > – “Saudi Arabia: ‘Religious Police’ To Set Up Human-Rights > Unit”<http://www.stratfor.com/memberships/146629/sitrep/20091005_saudi_arab...> > – “Saudi Arabia’s so-called ‘religious police,’ the Commission for the > Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, plans to go through a > restructuring and will set up a human-rights division, Saudi newspaper > Al-Watan reported Oct. 5. A spokesman for the commission said the new > division will deal with human rights ‘in accord with just Islamic principles > and international rights treaties.’” --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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