Saudi Arabia has confirmed it is to buy 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from the UK, in a deal that could be worth more than £6bn. The contract, brokered between the Saudi government and the Ministry of Defence, will safeguard thousands of jobs at UK defence firm BAE Systems.Yay!
Let's have a quick recap of human rights issues in Saudi Arabia (from Wikipedia).
- Saudi Arabia is one of a number of countries where courts continue to impose corporal punishment, including amputations of hands and feet for robbery, and lashings for lesser crimes such as "sexual deviance" and drunkenness. The number of lashes is not clearly prescribed by law and is varied according to the discretion of judges, and range from dozens of lashes to several thousand, usually applied over a period of weeks or months.
- Saudi women face severe discrimination in many aspects of their lives, including education, employment, and the justice system. Women are not allowed to drive or ride bicycles on public roads in large cities.
- All sexual activity outside of a traditional heterosexual marriage is illegal. Punishment for homosexuality, cross-dressing, or being involved with anything that hints at the existence of an organized gay community will range from imprisonment, deportation (for foreigners), lashes, and sometimes execution.
- Freedom of speech and the press are restricted to forbid criticism of the government or endorsement of "un-Islamic" values. The government officially bans satellite television, but the rule is generally ignored. Trade unions and political organizations are banned. Public demonstrations are forbidden.
Why anyone think our government is run by disgusting hypocrites is a mystery to me...
Tags: News, Politics, Saudi Arabia, Universalism
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