It’s Time to Boycott Saudi Arabia
Two Saudi women named Dua and Dalal wish to flee Saudi Arabia in order to avoid a forced marriage. They face rape and death threats should they remain, refuse the marriage, or are caught escaping.
Inexplicably, Twitter took down their accounts. Since one of Twitter’s shareholders is from the Gulf States, this may be the reason. I was intially sceptical of claims that Twitter clamped down on accounts using political bias. This has turned out to be true, as several examples show.
Twitter has since restored their accounts.
Many women and girls wish to flee Saudi Arabia, and it would appear that most are either unable to do so or unsuccessful. We have seen that Saudi Arabia is quite willing to execute teenaged boys for “protests”, and so we can have no doubt that they will show little mercy to girls.
All countries which claim to support human rights must now question their strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia. Yes, there are several wicked regimes around the world. But it is surely unacceptable to value oil prices above the rights and freedoms of men, women, and children.
Prince MBS’ state execution of Jamal Khashoggi was a huge embarrassment to all those who claimed that the new Crown Prince would reform his nation. Many burst into song and dance when he claimed that women would be able to drive in his nation. I saw through this as a cheap bribe in return for Western compliance, which would allow people to ignore the far worse abuses taking place.
Saudi Arabia’s ridiculous ban on women driving is just the surface. Far worse is the repression of free thought, the imposition of Salafi Islam, the lack of religious freedom, the sponsorship of terrorism, the fundamental mistreatment of women and girls, the exploitation of immigrants, the bribery of foreign nations, the manipulation of the oil market, and the misuse of the death penalty.
Many nations, including in the West, have refused to condemn this for fear of losing access to petroleum. Furthermore, Saudi businessmen have substantial shares and investments abroad. Here in the UK, Saudi and other Gulf men own clubs and even large neighbourhoods in fashionable parts of London and Kent. MBS has posed outside Downing Street.
Yet women being allowed to drive has not helped Dua and Dalal, who face the far worse prospect of forced marriage. One supposed suitor is a cleric who espouses violent and inhumane ideas. Their father has, instead of protecting his daughters, alerted the nation to their disappearance, which puts them in mortal danger. So far, international groups have yet to approve their request for asylum and sanctuary abroad.
I sincerely hope they do so.
Despite the moral cowardice of our governments and politicians, we must raise awareness about the plight of Saudi citizens like Dua, Dalal, and others. I would strongly urge people to avoid spending money in places funded by Gulf businessmen, since that money often goes towards entrenching support for the Saudi kingdom, as well as grossly immoral behaviour.
(It’s worth noting that though Saudi Arabia claims to follow strict codes of Islamic morality, the Royal Family, sheikhs, businessmen, and other dignitaries do no such thing, particularly not in the West).
Put simply, it’s time to boycott Saudi Arabia.
