Nov 23 2005
Saudi’s Not My Ally
I know we need to ensure the flow of oil remains steady so as to not impose economic hardship on those least able to cope financially. I understand there are some admirable traits about Saudi Arabia and it has been an ally of the US at times that meant great risk to the ruling monarchy.
But I think we have spent sufficient time to allow them to evolve beyond the ‘brute’ stage. The thing that many westerners find humorous is the male insecurity in the strict Muslim world. They are not alone in having faults when it comes to dealing with those strange creatures known as ‘women’. The reason I am not a Roman Catholic Christian anymore is I cannot understand why men are the only creatures deemed capable of leadership. (I could make some joke about the difference between a woman holding an young boy in her arms to console him and some male priests doing the same… I guess I just did).
But while Christianity has some final mental issues to get over in the treatment of our life partners and personal saviors (and here I refer to all the wonderful women in my life, but especially my wife) the Muslims seem to be devolving in the opposite direction. To show their ‘superiority’ male dominated Muslim society’s demonstrate their irrational fear of free thinking, free speaking, free partner women through their animalistic brutality and need to dominate:
In 2002, 15 Meccan school girls died and some 50 were injured because the girls were prevented by “religious police” from fleeing their burning school building:
They were physically beaten back into the flames. This is an old story, but the education wonks use it to emphasize how the Muslim warrior is also afraid of the broader world and having to face it:
A high school chemistry teacher in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to a public beating of 750 lashes and imprisonment for, supposedly, “questioning and ridiculing Islam, discussing the Bible and defending Jews:”
…Al-Harbi was convicted of questioning and ridiculing Islam, discussing the Bible and defending Jews, judicial officials said Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Prosecutors acted after a complaint by students and al-Harbi’s fellow teachers, officials said. The court in the northern province of al-Qassim heard the case Saturday in a six-hour trial.
Al-Harbi was in prison Thursday, but the Saudi newspaper Al-Madinah reported him as saying he would appeal the verdict.
“There are charges that the judge read which are unknown to me, such as defending Jews and the Bible, ridiculing Islam and witchcraft. It’s strange that the judge ruled so quickly and wanted to end the case so fast,” al-Harbi was quoted as saying.
No, it is not strange. Many in the west find the insecurity of Muslim men to be something between humorous and embarrassing. How could such ‘brave’ people be so afraid of reality they literally destroy it so they do not have to face it. Saudi Arabia has not modernized their people to be part of the world community. What modern society is afraid to let women drive? How insecure can you be about yourself to restrict another human being’s mobility? Not to mention dress code and the people they can interact with?
Strict Muslim society’s that lash teachers for explaining there is a world outside Saudi Arabia are demonstrating cowardice, not bravery. Therefore, they are no ally of mine. I cannot ally myself with people so insecure they harm others out of fear of being challenged personally.
Dear AJ–
You seem to take it at face value that the Saudi teacher was really “questioning and ridiculing Islam, discussing the Bible and defending Jews.â€
The teacher probably did not go that far and, in any case, does not admit that these charges are true.
The teacher says, “There are CHARGES that the judge read which are UNKNOWN to me, such as defending Jews and the Bible, ridiculing Islam and witchcraft.”
I think you are making a big assumption when you agree with the charges and verdict against this teacher.
The Muslims have the idea that women are the root of all evil. They are considered to have a higher sex drive than men and a weak character.
But toxic misogyny is not unique to the Taliban or Wahabi Islam.
Think of the story of Adam and Eve for an analogy. Eve is the one who is more culpable.
Women are viewed as temptresses by fundamentalist Muslims. This is a very dangerous idea, but it is not just a Muslim idea.
This idea was also popular in Europe during witchcrazes which were largely orgies of hatred against women. Sometimes practically all the women in the town would be killed as witches. Perhaps millions of people were killed as witches in Europe, and most were women.
“All witchcraft comes from carnal lust, which in women is insatiable” claimed the witch hunters’ Bible, “The Witches’ Hammer.” This was a 15th century book by two German priests.
King James wrote in Daemonologie: “For as that sex is frailer than man is, so it is easier to be entrapped in these gross snares of the Devil, as was over well proved to be true, bu the serpant’s deceiving of Eve at the beginning…”
Historians think that these witchcrazes were caused by religious upheavals or economic and cultural shifts.
Source: Michael Farquhar “A Treasury of Deception.” pp. 180-182.
I hope I don’t sound anti-Christian. I’m not. I just try to go by Jesus’ two rules: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
People who burned “witches” were not acting as Christians but were in the grip of some mysterious fanaticism.
Some of the stuff in the Bible is a little like some of the stuff in the Koran. Old-fashioned customs. Like the part about not suffering a witch to live.
I ignore those parts, and I think lots of Muslims do the same with some of the really old, dated customs in their holy books.
Snapple,
I actually think the opposite – that the teacher is just talking about the world outside the narrow world of estreme islam. I thought that was clear!
I do now see your word “supposedly.”
I think it is much more likely that the teacher was not some firebrand but may have just been simply giving a neutral explanation of other viewpoints. Even this was probably unacceptable and mischaracterized as “questioning and ridiculing Islam, discussing the Bible, defending Jews†and even witchcraft.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I enjoy your site very much.