Saudis uphold blogger's 1,000 lashes

[webfact]

Saudi Supreme Court upholds verdict against liberal blogger
AYA BATRAWY, Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court upheld an internationally condemned verdict against a liberal blogger who was publicly flogged after being found guilty of insulting Islam, state-linked news websites reported Sunday.

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the sentence of Raif Badawi, a 31-year-old father of three who was lashed in January in a public square, is final and cannot be overturned without a royal pardon.

Badawi, imprisoned since 2012, initially was sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for breaking Saudi Arabia's technology laws and insulting Islamic religious figures through a blog he created.

After an appeal, a criminal court in Jiddah last year stiffened the punishment to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes. He also was banned from traveling abroad for 10 years after his prison term and fined $266,000.

In January, security officials flogged Badawi outside a mosque in Jiddah. Saudi rights activists said it was meant as a warning to others who think to criticize the religious establishment, of which the ruling family derives much of its authority.

Subsequent floggings were halted as the Supreme Court reviewed the case. A person close to the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said that because Badawi's flogging has been halted since January, the Supreme Court ruling may exclude lashings. It was not immediately possible to clarify the details of the judges' ruling.

The lashes had been scheduled to be administered over 20 weekly sessions, with 50 lashes each week, according to the London-based rights group Amnesty International. The rights group has launched a global campaign to call for Badawi's release and said Sunday that he remains at risk of being flogged.

Saudi Arabia's Western allies, including Washington, have called on authorities to rescind the punishment. The kingdom maintains its judiciary is independent and has rejected international pressure as interference in the country's internal affairs.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-08

[F430murci]

Be great when we finally convert to all electric cars and these heathens in that entire part of the world implode when gas sales plummet.

[canopus1969]

And the stupid West continues to support this barbaric regime

[Robby nz]

It's OK they don't need human rights or democracy for that matter, they are friends, look at all the oil they have. On top of that they are now the number one weapons buyer in the world so the weapons manufacturers don't want to upset them.

[MaxYakov]

Be great when we finally convert to all electric cars and these heathens in that entire part of the world implode when gas sales plummet.

Dreamer.

By that time (if it ever happens) they will own us. And if Robby nz's post is true they and their jihadist buddies may even be shooting us and other bad things. Ooops, sorry. They already are!

Edited June 8, 2015 by MaxYakov

[thaibeachlovers]

Speaking as one that lived and worked there, everyone I knew hated them, and were only there for the money ( if they didn't have oil, they'd still be living in tents and mud walled houses ).

[freebyrd]

As F430murci said - Heathens.

[thousandpercent]

As F430murci said - Heathens.

You don't know what "heathen" means, do you?

[EnglishJohn]

A quick look on the internet shows you can get flogged for many reasons over there :

In 2006, two men and a 75-year-old woman were sentenced to flogging for "moral crimes" - they'd met members of the opposite sex who weren't "close relatives".

A 19-year-old woman known as the "al-Qatif Girl" was with a male friend when she was attacked and gang-raped by seven men.

The pair later received a six-month prison sentence and 200 lashes each, with authorities claiming the woman confessed to having an affair.

In July 2014, a court there jailed a 24-year-old man for three years and sentenced him to 450 lashes for arranging a date with another man on Twitter.

A Filipino man was sentenced to jail and 75 lashings for bringing two chocolate bars containing alcohol into the country.

[Emster23]

Maybe they don't have enough faith that Allah will punish them in afterlife? Seems to be a sticking point with many religions imho

[English 1]

Oil was discovered in 1938 only 77 years ago and prior to that these heathens were shitting in the sand.

Now the West Kowtows to them because of their oil.

Their mindsets have not changed one iota nor have their barbaric laws and brutal punishments.

They are totally hypercritical....... Drink gallons of Alcohol with cargo aircraft full of it arriving there.

No other religion is permitted except vile Islam.

I saw Xmas presents and cards thrown in bins at an airport customs check.

Also, a girl had her small cross ripped off he neck by a customs man.

The biggest 'sport' seems to be how many heads they can slice off each week!

[JetsetBkk]

Oil was discovered in 1938 only 77 years ago and prior to that these heathens were shitting in the sand.

Now the West Kowtows to them because of their oil.

<snip>

We had out chance, our excuse, in 1973. No western leader had the balls to do what should've been done.

[F430murci]

Be great when we finally convert to all electric cars and these heathens in that entire part of the world implode when gas sales plummet.

Dreamer.

By that time (if it ever happens) they will own us. And if Robby nz's post is true they and their jihadist buddies may even be shooting us and other bad things. Ooops, sorry. They already are!

A few years back, I would have said exactly what you are saying, but now electric cars are extremely cool now. They look great and have incredible performance. Tesla cannot keep up with production. I looked into one a year ago when purchasing a new sedan for my wife and there was a year waiting listing just to get a build date. Porsche has hybrid 918, Cayenne and Panamerica. BMW has the awesome i8 and the i3 along with many hybrid cars. Most manufacturers have hybrid versions of their most popular cars and a dedicated hybrid or electric car.

Electric car performance, ala Tesla, is actually better than conventional gasoline engine performance and the looks are attracting buyers that 5 years ago laughed at the notion of geeky electric cars.

The sole problem I see now is that the luxury manufacturers are charging too high of a premium on their hybrid models. Cars like the Prius, however, have shown that hybrid cars can be produced and sold cheaply, are very popular and hold heir resale value. Hybrid prices by luxury manufacturers will continue to drop as they produce more and more.

I then believe we will start seeing the shift o all electric once more and more stations are set up. Batteries have gotten lighter, hold their charges longer and charge more quickly.

People in the US are actually tired of unpredictable gas prices and all of the ME bs. The bigger impediment is domestic scum bags like the Koch brothers and big oil.

Nevertheless, I imagine the US will be able to reduce their oil usage and increase oil production sufficiently where ME OPEC bs is a thing of the past within a decade. Everything that is going on now is assuring that move and the US is spending too much time and resources trying to keep things somewhat stable over there.

Countries like Russia will be able to fill voids left by OPEC in China and Eastern European countries.

Saudis are too busy buying hundreds of cars, private jets and building ridiculous buildings to own us. Sure, they are targeting us and will continue to target us, but they will be even easier to deal with when we are not so economically dependent upon them. Their money will begin to dry up quiet rapidly when cities like Dubai are no longer funded by oil and banking pulls out when oil revenue decreases. They have too much debt on their balance sheets to survive when oil demand drops off.

Edited June 8, 2015 by F430murci

[F430murci]

And the stupid West continues to support this barbaric regime

Out of necessity. The West, however, is growing tired of their unpredictable heathen behavior. The question remains exactly how and when can the US sever ties sufficiently to give them the big middle finger and let them take care of their own bs. How long will it be before ISIS is running wild in the streets of places like Dubai without West support as we have seen that those allegedly in control over their have little or no back bone. As stated above, I think all of this crazy bs going on in the ME region will just enhance America's resolve to severe ties with the ME, rapidly develop alternatives to gas and increase domestic production to met the continued decreasing US oil demands.

[hocuspocus]

Be great when we finally convert to all electric cars and these heathens in that entire part of the world implode when gas sales plummet.

Dreamer.

By that time (if it ever happens) they will own us. And if Robby nz's post is true they and their jihadist buddies may even be shooting us and other bad things. Ooops, sorry. They already are!

A few years back, I would have said exactly what you are saying, but now electric cars are extremely cool now. They look great and have incredible performance. Tesla cannot keep up with production. I looked into one a year ago when purchasing a new sedan for my wife and there was a year waiting listing just to get a build date. Porsche has hybrid 918, Cayenne and Panamerica. BMW has the awesome i8 and the i3 along with many hybrid cars. Most manufacturers have hybrid versions of their most popular cars and a dedicated hybrid or electric car.

Electric car performance, ala Tesla, is actually better than conventional gasoline engine performance and the looks are attracting buyers that 5 years ago laughed at the notion of geeky electric cars.

The sole problem I see now is that the luxury manufacturers are charging too high of a premium on their hybrid models. Cars like the Prius, however, have shown that hybrid cars can be produced and sold cheaply, are very popular and hold heir resale value. Hybrid prices by luxury manufacturers will continue to drop as they produce more and more.

I then believe we will start seeing the shift o all electric once more and more stations are set up. Batteries have gotten lighter, hold their charges longer and charge more quickly.

People in the US are actually tired of unpredictable gas prices and all of the ME bs. The bigger impediment is domestic scum bags like the Koch brothers and big oil.

Nevertheless, I imagine the US will be able to reduce their oil usage and increase oil production sufficiently where ME OPEC bs is a thing of the past within a decade. Everything that is going on now is assuring that move and the US is spending too much time and resources trying to keep things somewhat stable over there.

Countries like Russia will be able to fill voids left by OPEC in China and Eastern European countries.

Saudis are too busy buying hundreds of cars, private jets and building ridiculous buildings to own us. Sure, they are targeting us and will continue to target us, but they will be even easier to deal with when we are not so economically dependent upon them. Their money will begin to dry up quiet rapidly when cities like Dubai are no longer funded by oil and banking pulls out when oil revenue decreases. They have too much debt on their balance sheets to survive when oil demand drops off.

In fifty years time I predict we will not need their oil (well I will not need it as I will be long gone) or they will run out of it and their cities will be buried under big sand dunes.

[arjunadawn]

Brought to you by one of the leading proponents of global anti-blasphemy laws. Under the OIC SA is among the architects of everything islamic, and everything that drives the narrative that drives the perception that drives the special accommodation of islamophobia fiction. Remember, having fear or disdain or judgement upon that which states, devises, and implements means to your destruction is not irrational, it is incumbent. Saudi Arabia is a supremacist cesspool of barbarism and fascism under the color of god. The instruments of western self governance and the rule of law have now become the very stalking horse for which lawfare jihad acts out its penetration of the west, and other.

Not unlike the various Human Rights docs that muslim states endorse they are impregnated with a caveat of small print that states as long as subordinate to sharia. So, you have states such as SA and others parroting the mechanics of defining and stating the natural rights of humans will not be abridged by the state but predicating such statements upon the sharia which entirely eviscerates the declarations (this serves to assuage both the liberals who dont have a clue about sharia and the muslims who actually do know exactly what this means). These are exercises in cultural/legal/international nuerolingistic programing, designed to co-opt and disarm the west as they insidiously insert differing associations, referencing, predicates to sharia throughout national and international bodies, thus inexorably elevating sharia generally throughout the world as a relative and other equal moral standard of conscience by which to base laws or judge.

Allowing SA and the OIC and others to dump vast monies into promoting anti blasphemy laws will result only in the silencing of legitimate skepticism of islam, islamic jihad, islamic states. It is already overwhelmingly clear muslims throughout the world, islamic counties throughout the world, and many muslim organizations throughout the world have no interest in tolerance, in withholding disdain from religious figures or icons, etc. It is only a one way street. For any rational mind to argue it is a two way street is lying. The islamic world has zero history of suggesting anti blasphemy laws will lessen islamic attacks on everyone else. After all, all the attacks on earth, with few exceptions, are islam upon others. Such laws will only reduce men to prisoners in their own western, liberal, plural states.

Example: Do not forget two brave people who were among the first in the west to fall victim to muslim-like anti blasphemy nonsense, Pastors Danny Nilliah and Daniel Scot of Australia. They ran afoul of such a law for giving a seminar where the quoted directly out of the koran. Indeed, during the trial they were prohibited from giving their testimony as the judge asserted what was being said was further proving that they were negatively maligning the religion of Islam. However, at the trial as was the seminar, the pastor was reading directly from the koran verbatim. These were not observations or conclusions, these were koranic passages. Moreover, when the pastor had previously stated, as per the koran, the statement that some demons even became muslims the judge rebuked him and slammed him for saying muslims were demons, which of course is not what the koran says nor the pastor. This proves truth is meaningless, only the act of deference matters.

The world will increasingly look this way as islamists seek to silence quickly rising awareness of what is happening- globally. This is not simply a matter of preventing legitimate hate speech, the entire effort is predicated upon special privileges and special outcomes- islam is to be treated special and deferred to by all because islam is special and deserving of deferment and genuflection by all. When you look at SA realize they are seeking to export this very horror. You may disagree what I say is true but you will have no facts to support I am incorrect. NOTE: Most countries have "fire in a theater" speech limitations or speech limitation laws addressing incitement to violence. Were these laws employed as are written, muslims would be the first prosecuted. No, new nonsense laws need to be created capitalizing on political correctness and guilt.

Edited June 8, 2015 by arjunadawn

[elgordo38]

And the stupid West continues to support this barbaric regime

When a country has a resource the West wants they turn a blind eye to every thing. They the Saudi's unlike the West only allow in non Muslim people that can help keep the oil flowing for profit. I think they have a big sign at all their borders saying NON MUSLIMS NOT ALLOWED!!! The more I think of this the more I think my home country should do the same only take out the word NON. I have to quite taking these afternoon naps I dream to much.

[tifino]

karma will eventually catch up.....

[JetsetBkk]

What kind of God/Allah could have that would allow 1,000 lashes ?? Should not the God I was raised to believe in !! This is slow death as here will not survive 1,000 lashes.

<snip>

I think you need to realise that the 1,000 lashes are probably not exactly what you are thinking of:

[arjunadawn]

The cost of the socalled "Justice system" costs us a fortune in the US. Of course we have 50% of the lawyers in this world. However I would be willing to apply the Saudi system. Lashes for the trash. Thiefs get the first finger tip removed for the first robbery. This would give us a good clue as to who is a scumbag. How about just trying it and see what happens??

I see your point. I really do, and often I think the liberal poppycock of excuses, economics, or past social restrictions used in courts to mitigate accountability are absurdly destroying the entire moral and legal fabric of the Western World (courtesy of progressives and liberal multiculturalists that see everything as relative and beyond judgement). But would we really be better off with such draconian laws and punishments? What happens after so much of the rift raft is addressed? Is a social legal machine under the premise of a desert god really acceptable? Already I find the idea of halal meat repugnant and that is just food, and I am even a vegetarian; do we really want to extend such comprehensive, oppressive horrors over a pluralistic society who's ancestory is distilled from the self evident realization that Natural Rights exist?

Your point is valid but I think the conclusion that maybe... just maybe there is a merit to their approach is frightening. Remember, any cursory knowledge of the shar'ia clearly reveals it does not stop in the social space. Shar'ia does not end at the front gate. Shar'ia penetrates into every facet of your life, your wife's life, children, and even your charity and thought. Shar'ia is the single element of the islamic ideology which makes it so repugnant, not the faith, not the god, not even the individual practices. It is the collective practices and its application to every human being on earth which makes the shar'ia such a threat to art (denied), music (denied) , depictions of humans (denied), anatomy (denied) , science (debatable), poetry (discouraged unless islamic), reason (compromised because no objectivity can ever be declared separate from Al Lah), and the other numerous elements of 'qualia' that make being alive meaningful, and ineffable.

There is an inescapable truth as to why islamic countries/regions settled into stasis and a long slow decline- once the other productive regions were conquered and the scientists, poets, artists, doctors, etc., absorbed and the reality of the shar'ia settled in, a long dark night descended upon the sharia world. While the islamic world has produced some remarkable agents of enlightenment or change it is grossly under represented relative to the population and as compared to other populations over time. All of the high points in islamic "golden age" fiction took place during the height of islamic golden age conquest, and absorption, where the meritorious and industrious and fruitful were claimed as islamic products. It is not as if these populations are incapable of such endeavor- of course they are, all humans are relatively the same. It is that there is no incentive and primarily there is great danger is exploring the natural world, the artistic world, and the world of reason outside of the scope of Al Lah. This will be the blanket of sleep that will descend on the West should the Third Great Jihad prevail.

Note: I have no use for any religion but my objection is not religion here, it is the sharia. It is always the sharia. The sharia is the single defining aspect of islam which reveals how unlike all other religions it really is. Just sharia.

[Chicog]

Take some time to read the writings of Badawi. Although he doesn't attack the Al Saud's directly, they know that removing the influence of Islam would light the powderkeg and spell the end of their oligarchy.

He is one very brave bloke doing this in that craphole and I hope relentless pressure is applied to free him.

In reading these, you can see that he's a threat to every single nation state that exists under religious rule.

Link here: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/14/-sp-saudi-blogger-extracts-raif-badawi

[deecee10]

bastards

[peterb17]

Don't worry- within two hundred years most of the world will be Muslim. Saudi has spent billions spreading its extreme version of Islam - funding schools, mosques and terrorists .

Badawi is a truly brave man and needs every support.

[spidermike007]

Fabulously small and insecure men, who have skin thinner than an apple. Anything offends these Godless men. Anything. God does not even know their first names. All of this nonsense is in the name of a false pursuit of "religion". This all has nothing to do with God or religion. Certainly nothing to do with spirituality. It is sheer foolishness being practiced by a society that is completely and hopelessly lost. The further we distance ourselves from the Saudis the better, as they are NOT our allies, on any level. Wahhabism is fanaticism plain and simple. It is an ugly faith.

[spidermike007]

Don't worry- within two hundred years most of the world will be Muslim. Saudi has spent billions spreading its extreme version of Islam - funding schools, mosques and terrorists .

Badawi is a truly brave man and needs every support.

It is very possible that unless moderate men and women in positions of authority within the Muslim world start speaking out in a very loud and vociferous manner, against this brand of extremism, and the other ridiculous fools like ISIL, there will be a world war declared on Islam. It may end up being the second crusade. I see it building. I see moderate westerners turning against all Muslims. This does not have to happen, but it may, unless they start upholding their responsibilities and begin to speak out loudly and clearly. It happens in Germany in the 30's. The people did not speak out against the Freaky Fuhrer. It may happen again.

[Chicog]

Don't worry- within two hundred years most of the world will be Muslim. Saudi has spent billions spreading its extreme version of Islam - funding schools, mosques and terrorists .

Badawi is a truly brave man and needs every support.

It is very possible that unless moderate men and women in positions of authority within the Muslim world start speaking out in a very loud and vociferous manner, against this brand of extremism, and the other ridiculous fools like ISIL, there will be a world war declared on Islam. It may end up being the second crusade. I see it building. I see moderate westerners turning against all Muslims. This does not have to happen, but it may, unless they start upholding their responsibilities and begin to speak out loudly and clearly. It happens in Germany in the 30's. The people did not speak out against the Freaky Fuhrer. It may happen again.

Actually what happened in the 30's was that Hitler became the focal point for all the anger and frustration that had been building for years.

He had huge popular support and the charisma to pull it off.

The worse things get, the more the right wing will benefit.

Not pseudo-right wing moderates like Cameron, but hard line right wingers like Le Pen.

[NeverSure]

There's going to be an all-out world war against Muslims. There's absolutely nothing else that can be done. By the time it happens W. Europe may be on the side of the Muslims. I don't think I'll be alive to see it but it's going to be horror.

[Godders]

It takes more than the sudden accumulation of vast wealth, whether from oil or some other windfall, to transform a backward, feudal culture into something resembling a civilised society.

Saudi Arabia, rich beyond the dreams of avarice for well over half a century yet notorious for its tyrannical, cruel and repressive regime, is the grotesque living proof of this sad reality..

To bowdlerise a popular expression used, in a different context by falangs in Thailand: you can get the Arab out of the sand, but you can't get the sand out of the Arab.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Godders

[godden]

this evil nest needs doing away with, will i get 1000 lashes?

[spidermike007]

A quick look on the internet shows you can get flogged for many reasons over there :

In 2006, two men and a 75-year-old woman were sentenced to flogging for "moral crimes" - they'd met members of the opposite sex who weren't "close relatives".

A 19-year-old woman known as the "al-Qatif Girl" was with a male friend when she was attacked and gang-raped by seven men.

The pair later received a six-month prison sentence and 200 lashes each, with authorities claiming the woman confessed to having an affair.

In July 2014, a court there jailed a 24-year-old man for three years and sentenced him to 450 lashes for arranging a date with another man on Twitter.

A Filipino man was sentenced to jail and 75 lashings for bringing two chocolate bars containing alcohol into the country.

The very essence of fear, loathing and insecurity. Men who are comfortable in their own skin do not behave like this. Only cowards and heathens and super freaks behave like this. This has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with having absolutely no inner life, and absolutely no spiritual understanding, whatsoever. If these creeps spent even 10 minutes a day in actual prayer, and not reciting memorized nonsense, and bowing till their backs hurt, they might have some understanding of life. To restrict women in this way shows how little they understand about the universe around them. Shun them, avoid them, do not patronize them. Buy gas that does not come from the putrid kingdom. They are up to no good.

Edited June 9, 2015 by spidermike007