Nobel Peace Prize and Truth-speaking Bloggers -- Murders, the Saudis and Oil

[Duppers]

Why Blogger Raif Badawi Deserves the Nobel Peace Prize

Posted: 09/09/2015
by Ali A. Rizvi - Pakistani-Canadian writer, physician, and musician


...Standing up for your values is most difficult when those closest to you are violating them. It's easy for Western leaders to condemn the Taliban, the Islamist Charlie Hebdo shooters, Iran for its free speech restrictions, China for jailing Liu Xiaobo, or the murderers in Bangladesh.

But going up against Saudi Arabia -- chief exporter of both oil and Islamism -- is the real test. Who will do it?

The United States won't. The superpower whose most recent Republican president famously held hands with the late King Abdullah as they strolled through his ranch, and most recent Democratic president apparently bowed to him, is terrified of offending the Saudis.

Other Western countries won't do it either. David Cameron, recently praised for his insightful speech on combating Islamism, flew the union flag at half-mast to mourn the death of King Abdullah in January. Similarly, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, also seemingly "courageous" in his denouncement of Islamism, simultaneously conducted a $15 billion arms deal with the kingdom that's contingent on secrecy. Refreshingly, for a little while this year, Sweden was the exception to all this....


More... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/raif-badawi-nobel-prize_b_8100946.html


This year blogger Raif Badawi, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was jailed, publicly lashed, and fined for standing up to the Saudi monarchy. Yet despite its many human rights violations, the Saudi have a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.



This is an enlightening article covering many areas and well worth the read. I was encouraged to post it by riderinthestorm in this thread:
"The Arab world’s wealthiest nations are doing next to nothing for Syria’s refugees
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027187647

[riderinthestorm]

1. K&R for Raif and the other bloggers speaking truth

In the face of evil...

[Octafish]

2. We're getting a really good deal on the oil.

Wouldn't want civil rights to get in the way of that. Or democracy.

[Duppers]

4. R. Excellent article!

More later.

Thanks Octafish!

[mother earth]

3. What is taking place is absolutely stomach churning, what a damned hell-hole mess all of it is.

K & R

[Duppers]

5. That's truth!

People think "ah, just more conspiracy theory", until they read the FACTS....including those in the article Octafish posted above.

Thanks, Mother Earth.

[hifiguy]

6. Saudi Arabia =

the anus mundi.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Duppers.

[Duppers]

8. Thank you, Uncle Joe. nt

[beam me up scottie]

9. K & R

Thanks for posting this, Duppers.