British grandfather facing 360 lashes in Saudi Arabia for making wine

[ggt]

These same Saudi officials are likely guilty of buggering young boys while sipping fine whiskey...

[shirtless]

This is why we should never bend our way of life to suit them as it will never be reciprocated , better leave Muslims to the muslim countries.

[GAZZPA]

Note to self: Respect culture and rules while a guest in another country.

You should you are 100% correct.

However, for someone who is not a muslim and does not recognise (or fully understand) their laws this seems ridiculously brutal for making some wine.

Ok, he deserved to be punished but 14 months inside and now 350 lashes is absolutely barbaric and in my opinion has no place in the modern world.

I hope he is released and allowed to go home safely to his family..

[ExpatOilWorker]

Good news. Another news source (The Guardian) is reporting it's only 350 lashes, so he's on easy street now.

The bad news is that the missing 10 lashes have been assigned to you with immediately effect......and administrated by your wife!

[nithisa78]

He play he loose

It's very pity but alcohol is a very sensitive issue for Saudi cleric. Zero tolerance.

If this britain would drink alcohol why did you not do it like Saudi: cross the bridge of shame between Saudi Arabia and bahrain

death wish.

[Dustdevil]

david cameron is busy housing syrians and handing them out benefits to help his fellow countryman

Makes me glad that at least our own less desirable (illegal) immigrants in the U.S. are not Muslims.

[Dustdevil]

Thats the one country I wouldnt mind ISIS invading.................

You would be willing to give ISIS access to the fortunes of the Saudi oil fields because some guy screwed up and got caught carrying wine in his car?

He's the one that made the wine, he's the one that was drinking it and he's the one that got caught up in it.

My guess is he will serve some jail time and then be deported PNG to a life of drinking his wine legally.

I would be surprised if he ever receives one lash.

I have to wonder how well you know the Tragic Kingdom. one westerner got hundreds of lashes and deportation afterwards, for having a one-year supply of Xanax without a prescription.

[7by7]

Note to self: Respect culture and rules while a guest in another country.

I would expect the Muslim communities in the UK and Europe to do the same. Sharia patrols in Muslim areas is outside European law yet it is tolerated. Here is a clip from 60 minutes a US investigative news program like the UK's Panorama.

The people conducting these so called patrols are breaking the law, are arrested, are tried and are imprisoned.

For example: Muslim vigilantes jailed for 'sharia law' attacks in London

Furthermore, they are condemned by the local Muslim community.

For example: Muslims condemn behaviour of Islamic vigilantes

Of course, the various hate sites are happy to highlight the patrols and try to convince the gullible that such things are the norm: but they always totally ignore the response to these illegal acts by the police, courts and local community.

The reason for that is obvious.

[soalbundy]

You never know these day's, he might even enjoy it.

[Somtamnication]

Latest update is that the lashes have been canceled. Phew!

[7by7]

Note to self: Respect culture and rules while a guest in another country.

You should you are 100% correct.

However, for someone who is not a muslim and does not recognise (or fully understand) their laws this seems ridiculously brutal for making some wine.

Ok, he deserved to be punished but 14 months inside and now 350 lashes is absolutely barbaric and in my opinion has no place in the modern world.

I hope he is released and allowed to go home safely to his family..

I agree that the punishment is barbaric; but it is the law in that country and as said before by others he has lived in Saudi long enough to know the law and the consequences of breaking it.

We expect foreigners in our countries to abide by our laws and to suffer the consequences if they break any of them.

Whether or not the Saudi authorities will show clemency due to his age, we will have to wait and see. I hope that they do.

[soalbundy]

Latest update is that the lashes have been canceled. Phew!

They are going to stick a red hot poker up his bum instead, but only once

[soalbundy]

Note to self: Respect culture and rules while a guest in another country.

You should you are 100% correct.

However, for someone who is not a muslim and does not recognise (or fully understand) their laws this seems ridiculously brutal for making some wine.

Ok, he deserved to be punished but 14 months inside and now 350 lashes is absolutely barbaric and in my opinion has no place in the modern world.

I hope he is released and allowed to go home safely to his family..

I agree that the punishment is barbaric; but it is the law in that country and as said before by others he has lived in Saudi long enough to know the law and the consequences of breaking it.

We expect foreigners in our countries to abide by our laws and to suffer the consequences if they break any of them.

Whether or not the Saudi authorities will show clemency due to his age, we will have to wait and see. I hope that they do.

That's just the trouble, we don't, there is always a PC apologist making excuses for their ''different culture'' and we should understand the primitives

Edited October 13, 2015 by soalbundy

[Chicog]

Meanwhile while the Saudi Royals are in London or Hollywood its let the good times roll.

Is it illegal to transport alcohol in your car in London?

[elgordo38]

better stay in the western world nowadays to avoid the savages .

Governments around the world still insist on doing business with these yes savages. Of course we know who pulls their strings.

[Chicog]

better stay in the western world nowadays to avoid the savages .

Why do people in this day and age still work or go on holiday to a Muslim country?

Their brains did not even reach the airport.

Because not every Muslim country is as strict as Saudi Arabia.

[elgordo38]

david cameron is busy housing syrians and handing them out benefits to help his fellow countryman

Yes the great humanitarian. Someday this will come back to bite him in the posterior. Not that he will care he will collecting his generous government pension in some out of the way place.

[thailanddogerator]

Feel pity for anyone even wanting to live there !!!

better stay in the western world nowadays to avoid the savages .

[Chicog]

Just bear in mind that many Saudis would be quite happy if they could drink in their own country.

It is the ruling family that forbid it and enforce it with madmen because they are desperate to control every aspect of their citizens' lives.

So don't be so hard on all of them.

I saw one in Pattaya at the magic roundabout in Ramadhan and these two Indonesian muslim fellers came up to him and started berating him for drinking.

He very calmly, and politely, in English, explained to them that his relationship with his God was none of their business and that they should go and harass someone interested, which they did.

Then he carried on getting blitzed.

Subsequently transpired that he was Western educated of course.

I also watched another Saudi with a wicked sense of humour serenade some of his countrymen in a Gulf Bar. It was Karaoke with the band night, and he taught them the chords then belted it out, much to our amusement and their confusion. The song?

[Che Serna]

Saudi's American best friend (along with Israel) are now the head of the UN human rights council's.

How can anyone believe in anything these days?

[Kannikapor88]

This man has brought this problem onto his own head.

Allegedly he has lived/worked in Saudi for 25 years so he should know what the "rules" are.

The Saudis are remarkably tolerant of Western lifestyles as long as it is kept within the gated compounds where most expats live.

By transporting alcohol he knowingly broke Saudi Law.

Well done - defending Laws dated back to the stoneage ... Its wine for God sake, its not like he forced a 9 year old girl to marry him ... ups, forgot thats okay in Saudi

[Alwyn]

Interesting. Saudi were elected chair of the UN human rights council in September, with the full support of Cameron too... Great example to set.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Alwyn

[Jonmarleesco]

Well, ironically (more than deliberately, I dare say), the UK government has just cancelled a prison officer training agreement with the Saudis.

[retarius]

Saudis usually ignore westerners making alcohol for their own consumption. The severity of the sentence and the fact that he had lived there for 25 years leads me to conclude that he was making alcohol to sell. Why was it in his car if he wasn't not delivering it?

Thrash him, I say. He should respect the laws of the country he chose tho live in. Sorry I can't be sympathetic.

[retarius]

Thats the one country I wouldnt mind ISIS invading.................

You would be willing to give ISIS access to the fortunes of the Saudi oil fields because some guy screwed up and got caught carrying wine in his car?

He's the one that made the wine, he's the one that was drinking it and he's the one that got caught up in it.

My guess is he will serve some jail time and then be deported PNG to a life of drinking his wine legally.

I would be surprised if he ever receives one lash.

I don;t think he was transporting wine in his car. He was making wine and selling it to Saudis which is a whole other thing. Saudis don't mind westerners drinking and making home brew in their compounds, but they draw a line at selling it to Saudis. This guy has been there for 25 years. He is past working age and is making lots of money brewing and selling alcohol to Saudis. He knew the risks and took them to make large amounts of money. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. I live here in Thailand, I respect the laws of the country whether I agree with them or not. No-one forced me to live here. Same with this guy, who does he think he is flouting the law then complaining when he's caught. Thrash him hard, I say.

[chuckd]

Thats the one country I wouldnt mind ISIS invading.................

You would be willing to give ISIS access to the fortunes of the Saudi oil fields because some guy screwed up and got caught carrying wine in his car?

He's the one that made the wine, he's the one that was drinking it and he's the one that got caught up in it.

My guess is he will serve some jail time and then be deported PNG to a life of drinking his wine legally.

I would be surprised if he ever receives one lash.

I have to wonder how well you know the Tragic Kingdom. one westerner got hundreds of lashes and deportation afterwards, for having a one-year supply of Xanax without a prescription.

How about a link to that. I found a couple of Aussies receiving lashes after they were caught making and selling sid but nothing about a Xanax caper.

Over the years a couple of my employees were caught for the same thing, arrested, sentenced to lashes, spent some time in prison and then sent packing without being lashed.

But that's just my experience.

[gandalf12]

This man has brought this problem onto his own head.

Allegedly he has lived/worked in Saudi for 25 years so he should know what the "rules" are.

The Saudis are remarkably tolerant of Western lifestyles as long as it is kept within the gated compounds where most expats live.

By transporting alcohol he knowingly broke Saudi Law.

But their own go to farangland to do what they can't do in their own country...Even hi-so's..........

So what's your point (if any) Transam? They go outside to partake of things illegal in their own country but LEGAL in "farangland" as you call it. Unfortunately this man was doing something ILLEGAL...does that make it clear for you?

I think he is saying that the Saudi's are hypocrites which they are

[gandalf12]

This man has brought this problem onto his own head.

Allegedly he has lived/worked in Saudi for 25 years so he should know what the "rules" are.

The Saudis are remarkably tolerant of Western lifestyles as long as it is kept within the gated compounds where most expats live.

By transporting alcohol he knowingly broke Saudi Law.

But their own go to farangland to do what they can't do in their own country...Even hi-so's..........

So what's your point (if any) Transam? They go outside to partake of things illegal in their own country but LEGAL in "farangland" as you call it. Unfortunately this man was doing something ILLEGAL...does that make it clear for you?

I think he is saying that the Saudi's are hypocrites which they are

[gandalf12]

This man has brought this problem onto his own head.

Allegedly he has lived/worked in Saudi for 25 years so he should know what the "rules" are.

The Saudis are remarkably tolerant of Western lifestyles as long as it is kept within the gated compounds where most expats live.

By transporting alcohol he knowingly broke Saudi Law.

Well done - defending Laws dated back to the stoneage ... Its wine for God sake, its not like he forced a 9 year old girl to marry him ... ups, forgot thats okay in Saudi

There seems to be something missing in many of the posts and that is they have laws and they enforce them. Most of the posts appear to be taking the line "it is just drink". How many of the people posting here know the reason for alcohol being banned in Saudi? I bet not many if any and it has nothing to do the Sharia law

[empireboy]

Hideous inhumane country but if you live there you should know the risks and not do what you're not prepared to suffer for. I feel for this guy and his family but if you want to play with vipers expect to get bitten!