State Dept. accuses Saudi Arabia of violating religious freedom

[Kadie]

State Dept. accuses Saudi Arabia of violating religious freedom

By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press


Last Updated: September 15, 2004, 08:00:00 AM PDT


WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has engaged in "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom and for the first time included the kingdom on a list of countries that could be subject to sanctions.

A department report assessing the state of religious freedom worldwide said that in Saudi Arabia, freedom of religion does not exist and is not recognized or protected under the country's laws.

The report also said that those who do not adhere to the officially sanctioned strain of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia can face "severe repercussions" at the hands of the religious police.

Under U.S. law, nations that engage in violations of religious freedom deemed "particularly severe" are designated by the State Department as "countries of particular concern."

more...
http://www.modbee.com/24hour/politics/story/1656474p-9388579c.html

[takumi]

1. So Where Have They Been and What About China??????

[allemand]

10. Here you go

China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau)
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35396.htm

[Another Bill C.]

2. We can threaten all we want

but as long as Saudi Arabia has the oil, we will kiss whatever body parts they ask us to.

[saigon68]

15. State will give a Lewinsky to the Saudi Kings

The Saudi Kings rock ----they are going to pump millions of extra barrels of the black gold to help their Butt Boy the CHIMPANZEE win the election.

The sheep know the chimp is doing well

Hey Mabel the price of gas is down

[2Design]

3. and what is the usa doing - forcing christianity into government and

schools - that is violating religious freedom at home

[hatrack]

4. Did State just discover the existence of an oil-rich kingdom in the Gulf?

Wow, they're a repressive theocracy. If that won't raise a few eyebrows at Foggy Bottom, I just don't know what will!

[amandabeech]

5. Has John Ashcroft replaced Colin Powell at State?

Or is this just a little red meat thrown to the fundamentalist hordes at election time?

I suppose Bush called Prince Bandar to let him know that this was coming and why.

[MGKrebs]

6. Jeez, I expected to see a "theonion.com" link.

[GOPAgainstGW]

7. DAMN THAT MAKES ME MAD-WE HAVE GONE CRAZY!!!!!!!

WE JUST BEG THE ISLAMIC TERRORIST TO WIPE THE U.S. OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET! I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION, AND FRANKLY THE U.S. PUBLIC, OVER THE MIDDLE EAST AND THEIR CUSTOMS AND WAYS THAT GO BACK BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. THE RELIGION OF ISLAM IS THE SECOND LARGEST RELIGION IN THE WORLD WITH OVER 1 BILLION FOLLOWERS.

OF COURSE BUSH AND HIS FRICKING SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION FASCIST LEADERS WANT TO START THE WORST AND DEADLIEST HOLY WAR IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET, BY DEMANDING THAT THE WHOLE WORLD CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY.

WHAT.......WE GOING TO CHANGE OR KILL ALL 1 BILLION PEOPLE OF ISLAMIC FAITH IN THE WORLD, BECAUSE THIS IS SURE WHAT WE IMPLY IN OUR ACTIONS AND WORDS TO THE WORLD!

LOOK AT THIS MAP BELOW, HOW THAT WHOLE PART OF THE WORLD IS MUSLIMS....BEEN THAT WAY BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. BUT THERE WE ARE BLOWING THE SHITE OUT OF IRAQ, WITH OUR CHRISTIAN BACK FORCES. THERE WE ARE FORCING OUR CUSTOMS/RELIGION/WAY OF LIFE SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MUSLIM WORLD AND IN A HOLY MECCA COUNTRY WE INVADED WITHOUT “DUE CAUSE”, BEING IRAQ!

JOHN KERRY NEEDS TO GET OF HIS BUTT, AND ADDRESS THIS SITUATION TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC OR HE WILL LOSE THIS ELECTION! THE WHOLE WORLD SUPPORTS KERRY, BASED ON CURRENT POLLS, BUT IS LOSING FAITH IN HIS ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THIS MASSIVE PROBLEM, JUST LIKE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS ALSO LOSING FAITH IN KERRY ON THIS ISSUE.

THE PUBLIC WANT MORE MASSIVE TERRORIST ON U.S. SOIL? GREAT JUST KEEP FOLLOWING THE BUSH-CHENEY ADMINISTRATION PLAN!

KERRY HAS TO GET ALL OVER THIS ISSUE.

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[wellstone_democrat]

11. A timeline quibble and a marriage proposal

Muslims come after Christianity chronologically but your larger point about our idiotic foreign "policy" (and I use the word ironically) is well taken.

After reading that (and some others) I feel compelled to ask: will you marry me? I like the way you think. Like my northern New England rock-ribbed Republicans of yore! If the party hadn't become that of the Southern Baptist/Pentacostal Jihad, I'd probably still be one.

:evilgrin:

[JerseygirlCT]

30. First, Islam is about 600 years younger than Christianity... -m

And secondly, I guess I'm missing something here... are you ok with the Saudi government's repression and mistreatment of those who don't adhere to their particular fundamentalist sect of Islam? (Not to mention those who would practice another religion altogether).

MOST adherents of Islam do not belong to the Wahhabist sect. Most think this particular group holds to many of the tenets of Islam and is itself something of a perversion.

Maybe I'm just being slow tonight, but do me a favor and explain your objections again, will you? (And maybe lose the caps?) I would think that religious freedom is a good thing...

[jaysunb]

8. Yo State Dept !!

MYOB......

[tom_paine]

9. LOL. Watching Imperial Amerika criticize religious tyrannies

is like watching Jefferson Davis criticize other nations for slaveholding.

[allemand]

12. It's a bad idea to defend Saudi Arabia only because the State Dept.

criticizes it.

Even for Muslims there is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, only Wahhabism is tolerated:
"The Government enforces a strictly conservative version of Sunni Islam. Muslims who do not adhere to the officially sanctioned Salafi (commonly called "Wahhabi") tradition can face severe repercussions at the hands of the Mutawwa'in (religious police). The Government continued to detain Shi'a leaders. Members of the Shi'a minority continued to face political and economic discrimination, including limited employment opportunities, little representation in official institutions, and restrictions on the practice of their faith and on the building of mosques and community centers."
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35507.htm

[BiggJawn]

13. But this has been going on for years....

And our State department is just *NOW* noticing it?

Those new Army bases in Iraq must be nearing completion....

The House of Saud lets this crap (make this crap) go on, and our Administrations suck their asses for oil and permission to park aiplanes in Riyhad...

[gottaB]

28. Where did all the Sufis go?

Before the Wahhabist regime, there were Sufis in Saudia Arabia.

[JerseygirlCT]

31. Yes, and if anyone needs more, think about the girls killed -m

in the school fire b/c the religious police wouldn't allow them to leave the burning building without their coverings...

The Saudi regime is completely tied to a perverse and dangerous sect of Islam. The government itself is horribly corrupt, and they've bought temporary safety for themselves at a cost of spreading fundamentalist terror across the middle east and now the entire world. Despite their cozy relationship with the Bush administration, these are by no means good guys. They're some of the most awful guys, actually.

[LiberalFighter]

14. If Christianity was the religion of the land instead...

would the State Department be responding the same?

[illiteratepresident]

16. 9.11.04 the day the lie died

9/11 In Plane Sight

"Shocking - Thought provoking - Raises serious questions about the government's honesty in conducting the 9-11 investigation"
"Absolutely awesome. This is the one September 11 video that everyone should see."

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6847.htm

[illiteratepresident]

18. Bush's 28 pages = Nixon's 18 minutes

As everyone in this room is well aware, critical information about the role of the Government of Saudi Arabia before and after September 11, and its level of cooperation with U.S. law enforcement agencies, before and after, has not been revealed to the public. Despite an outcry from Republican and Democratic Senators alike for the release of information, the Administration has denied the public its right to know these crucial facts. This is most evident in the refusal of the Executive Branch to declassify all or part of the 28 pages relating to Saudi Arabia in the Joint Intelligence Committee report dated July 2003. Several of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have seen these pages, including Senators Shelby and Brownback, believe that almost all of the data in these pages can be released with no harm to national security.
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy for the
Hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security on
“Terrorism: Two Years After 9/11, Connecting the Dots,” Wednesday, September 10, 2003
http://judiciary.senate.gov/member_statement.cfm?id=910&wit_id=50

28 Pages Blacked Out of 9/11 Report Focuses on a Saudi Who Befriended Two of the Key Hijackers

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 -- In his new book, "Intelligence Matters," Florida Sen. Bob Graham, former co-chair of the joint House-Senate panel investigating 9/11, charges that the Bush administration was engaged in a "cover-up" to protect a key ally, Saudi Arabia.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5915547/site/newsweek/

[illiteratepresident]

19. The Biggest Bush LIE of all

http://storage.testpad.net/freedomfiles.org/bush_saw_first_plane_hit_tower.rm.ra m

Bush claims he saw the first plane crash on TV before going into the Florida classroom.

There was NO LIVE COVERAGE of the first plane strike.

So he is either a LIAR or a DUMBASS. You decide.

[seemslikeadream]

23. kick

n/t

[illiteratepresident]

20. The Bush Saudi Primer

Follow along with this guide to everything you always wanted to know about the Bush-Saudi connection but were afraid to ask.

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=99415#3

[illiteratepresident]

21. Unanswered Questions

http://letsroll911.org/articles/controlleddemolition.html

[illiteratepresident]

22. re: 9.11.04 the day the lie died

A new 9-11 video was screened last night in Sacramento, California, leaving the audience stunned. '911 in Plane Site' is basically presented in two parts. The first segment is 52 minutes and designed for showing on television with the balance of a one hour time slot reserved for commercials. Part II continues with more film and analysis. This video is digitally mastered making details sharp and clear.

'911 in Plane Site' presents actual film from that fateful day and careful analysis focusing on the Pentagon and the two World Trade Center buildings. By slowing down the actual news feeds that day from networks like CNN, FOX, the BBC and others, what you see is quite different from what most people saw in "real time" that day. Live footage from the Pentagon and what was missed by most because of the smoke and confusion was captured up close by the media. Following the showing, a retired vet remarked, "How did we miss this all this time? I've seen media clips of the front of that building many times, but I wasn't really seeing what was there. I feel sick."

One particular interview that brought gasps from the audience and many looking around with shock etched on their faces was an interview conducted - live at the time - by FOX News. This intense interview with Mark Burnback, an employee of FOX News, contains the following narrative, paraphrased: Burnback was close to the path of the second plane and had a good long look at what he describes was not a commercial airliner. The plane that hit the second tower had no windows, Burnback was very clear about that. The plane had some kind of blue logo on the front near the nose and looked like a cargo plane. This point was driven to the viewer several times along with the comment from this FOX employee that "this plane wasn't from around here or anything you'd see take off from the airport."

Other footage includes several women who had a very clear view watching the second plane hit were yelling, "That wasn't American Airlines....It wasn't American Airlines going into the building." These interviews were played that morning once on FOX News, never to be replayed again, despite the massive saturation and repetition by the media for many days to come.

Other extremely disturbing segments of this video are the clear, slow motion shots of the second plane going into the towers which show a flash right before the nose of the plane hits the building and a pod attached to the bottom of the plane. This strange flash is clearly recorded from four different angles from four different cameras. While there is only one known piece of film showing the first plane hitting the first tower, in slow motion one can clearly see - as with the second plane - a flash from the nose section right before impact. What caused this?

This video raises extremely disturbing questions about the planes that hit the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers, but no conclusions or accusations are made by the commentator. To date, only one piece of film has been released by DoD of the front of the Pentagon. The question raised in the video is where is all the other film footage from the Pentagon? The heart beat of America's military and security, with a building and perimeter loaded with cameras, but no film for the public to view of events as they unfolded except from one camera?

According to the producers, the purpose of '911 in Plane Site' is to demonstrate that Americans saw one thing that morning that was so shocking, so horrific and so massive, the finer details weren't really being picked up. The producer reinforces to the viewer that after one broadcast of many very controversial interviews live on the spot, these particular interviews were never broadcast again, i.e. firefighters on the spot talking about the explosions and bombs inside the towers. Since 9-11, it has been reported that "Building Seven" collapsed because of the two World Trade Center towers collapsing. However, the footage on this video tells a different story and raises more questions.

'911 in Plane Site,' distributed by Power Hour Productions (866-773-9469), leaves one with many questions as demonstrated by a very upset senior citizen who requested her last name be withheld. Mary asked, "If these weren't commercial airliners, where are those flights? Where are the passengers? My, God what really happened that day?" Indeed, this seemed to be the biggest question expressed by viewers after the lights came back on, but for which there were no answers. Some viewers were visibly upset, angry and "want damn answers" from the Bush Administration. Others just walked out the door in silence. One upset man commented on the way out of the viewing, "It's time to get this on PBS and every investigative news program on TV. We need answers."
http://www.policestate21.com/911review_disinfotainment.html

[A_Possum]

17. This is news to the state department?

Saudi Arabia is terroristic on religious repression and repression of women. That's nothing new.

They use the Wahabbi religion to repress women, violently if neccessary.

Don't make excuses for the Saudis. They're scum.

[Carla in Ca]

24. I'm confused...why is State picking on them at the same time

* wants more oil to win?

[Romulus]

25. weird - wonder what the "angle" is? (n/t)

[Ohio rules]

26. the angle is--The Christian vote ?

No.
Actually, the house of Saud wants to pay "hush" money...er...pump more oil to ...keep a lid on things

Screw them

Actually, we have been demanding for several years that they open up to democractic changes. They have made token changes.

They have been put on notice.

We don't like there Wahibist politics or their Religious Thought Police.

Face it, everyone on this board would have been arrested by our incriminating comments if we were all Saudi citizens living in "The Magic Kingdom".

[sr_pacifica]

32. Religious freedom for fundamental missionaries

Under this administration I cannot believe religious freedom is the true concern. Bush and his minion want these countries to welcome the practice of other religions so that Christian fundamentalist can go over and convert them.

[JNelson6563]

27. A little slow off the mark, aren't we?

Did they just notice this or....? :eyes:

[Ohio rules]

29. Legislation was approved in 1999

from the link;

legislation was approved in 1999 to evaluate the state of religious freedom around the world....
...
the commission's stand was based not only on violations of religious freedom within Saudi Arabia's own borders "but also its propagation and export of an ideology of religious hate and intolerance throughout the world."


http://www.modbee.com/24hour/politics/story/1656474p-93...
hmm...

There is more to the story.
And it goes back to what Congress voted for five years ago.