In June 2012 the nation of Saudi Arabia convicted Raif Badawi for Insulting Islam using media, and other charges including apostasy. Raif was sentenced to a ten year imprisonment, a fine equal to 266,00 US currency, and 1,000 lashes. After his release, he is banned from travel and media for ten years. Raif Badawi hosted a blog called “Free Saudi Liberals” where he criticized Islamic religious figures, politicians, and Saudi policies. The Saudi government retains that his website “undermined general security” and criticized (ridiculed) Islamic religious figures. Many nations and organizations have called for his release, including the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Prince Charles. As of late, he is still imprisoned, but has only received 50 of his 1,000 lashes, in one session. The Saudi Government is at full control on his release, imprisonment, and amount of lashes received. Due to immense international pressure, his lashes have been withheld since 2015, but the fear of further lashing still lingers with Raif and his family, who currently have asylum in Canada. Most recently, the United Nations accused the nation of Saudi Arabia of limiting free expression by using “anti-terror” laws, such as censoring speech in the name of security, like in Raif’s case.
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The Saudi Arabian government has previously stated that their public policy guarantees Saudi’s to privately worship their chosen religion, including non muslims. The key word in this policy is privately- meaning the government is somewhat opposed to the outspoken public worship of another religion than Islam. Throughout recent years, the government of Saudi Arabia has placed restrictions on Freedom of Religion. The reasoning of this due in part of the American invasion of Afghanistan, where the United States attempted to implement a democracy and in part spread western ideals. The Saudi Government enforces an interpretation of Sunni Islam, and those who do not follow or respect said interpretation, including followers of Islam and non-muslims, face discrimination and often times persecution from the Saudi Government.
The population of Saudi Arabia is estimated at more than 28.5 million people. The demography of the nation includes over 8 million foreign peoples, including 1.6 million Indians and 1.5 million Bangladeshis. It is estimated that ninety percent of Saudi Arabia’s 28.5 million population are Sunni Muslims. Sunni muslims in Saudi Arabia at the most subject and support the Government controlled interpretation of Islam. Ten percent are estimated to be Shi’a Muslims. Shi’a muslims in Saudi Arabia are found in large numbers located in the Western Medina Area, Eastern Province, and Southern Najran Province. Saudi Arabia is largely a Sunni Muslim nation, making it easy to project laws and policies that align with the ideology of Sunni Muslims. The King of Saudi Arabia’s office title is the “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.” The Grand Mufti, who is the highest official in Islamic religious law, reports directly to the King of Saudi Arabia. This being said, the nation of Saudi Arabia not only runs as an Islamic nation, but also projects much of their interpretation of Islam into every day policies.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic Theocratic Monarchy. This being said, the official religion of Saudi Arabia is Sunni Islam. Although the government has previously said it supports private practice of religions other than Islam, those who do not follow Sunni Islam face many forms of discrimination and persecution. The King is the custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic religion, and being so it is his responsibility to uphold Islamic tradition and Shari’a law. The Saudi government bases most of its policies from Shari’a, causing conflict for those who are not muslim, or do not follow Shari’a. The judiciary system of Saudi Arabia makes its rulings based on Shari’a as well, which can be seen in Raif Badawi’s sentencing of 1,000 lashes.
As previously mentioned, Saudi Arabia has an Indian population of around 1.6 million. Islamic Law prohibits Hinduism, the main religion in India, considering it polytheistic. Since the government concludes that practicing Hinduism is polythetic, they can justify and ignore discrimination against Hindus and Indians in their nation, including accidents, injury, and death. Non- citizens in Saudi Arabia are forced to carry identification cards on them, which include if they are muslim or non-muslim. The nation considers followers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism to be monotheistic, gaining them some sort of protection compared to followers of a polytheistic religion. Those who are not muslim in Saudi Arabia, are prohibited by the Government from religious activities, with the exclusion of private activities usually limited to the home. They have yet to set a limit or definition of private, often times leaving the judiciary to decide what the line between private and public religious activities. Officially the government has prohibited non-muslim clergy from conducting religious services and activities in the country as well.
The Saudi nation places restrictions on its muslim citizens as well, practically limiting them to a singular branch of the Hanbali school of the Sunni Branch of Islam. Even then, the Government's interpretation has limited religious holidays, prohibiting visiting tombs of respected Muslims and celebrating the birth date of the Prophet Muhammed. The Government has limited the discussion of religion and religious based policies, henceforth limiting criticism of the Saudi government.
Raif Badawi’s troubles with the Saudi Arabian government began in 2008, when he was charged with apostasy. Apostasy sentencing usually carries a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, but thankfully Raif was released after a day of questioning. In the year 2012, Raif Badawi was the owner and writer of a blog called “Free Saudi Liberals.” His posts, which included criticism of the monarchy of Saudi Arabia, and major Muslim religious figures, drew unwanted attention from the Saudi Government. On June 17, in the year 2012, he was arrested with the charges including insulting Islam through media, and apostasy.
In the nation of Saudi Arabia, there are little freedom of speech protections. The Saudi Government protected their sentencing by claiming Badawi’s webpage was a security hazard to the nation, and also propagated liberal (western) ideology. Saudi Arabia, and many surrounding nations have been openly against western ideology post the US invasion of Afghanistan. Many government officials fear liberal thought will deter their people from following their traditional ways of life, or the way of life the current government interprets to be correct.
The United Nations, a world organization, has charted a universal human rights declaration. To be a member of the United Nations and benefit from said membership, you have to sign and uphold said declaration. After reviewing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is apparent to me the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in violation of articles eighteen and nineteen. Article eighteen stating that persons have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Not only has religious laws in the nation defied said article, but the case against Raif Badawi shows how the government defies his before mentioned rights in the thinly veiled rule of national security. I like to beg the question of how criticism of a political figure, can withhold security for a nation? How does criticism create an unsafe safe? In reality, it shows the insecurity the Saudi Government feels towards the outside world and western influences. Article nineteen discusses person's right to freedom of opinion and expression, including holding opinions and receiving and imparting information through all media. This, to me, is the main case against the Saudi government, and the main case for the immediate release of Raif Badawi. The government has refused him his right to freedom of opinion and expression, specifically when it comes to media as a medium.
The United Nations has spoken out about the treatment of the Saudi people by the government many times. Not only have they condemned their torture techniques (lashings, cutting off hands etc.) they have spoken out about their use of anti- terror laws. The UN has accused the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of using anti-terror laws as a way to limit free speech, thought, and expression in their nation. Unlikable statements and schools of thoughts have been persecuted by the government, and the case of Raif Badawi is a key example of that.
In summary, I feel that Raif Badawi has been wrongly persecuted against by the Saudi Arabian government. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has wrongfully convicted, and imprisoned Raif Badawi under internationally illegal laws, causing him an immense loss. Not only has he been imprisoned, for simply practicing free thought and speech, but he has experienced fifty lashings, out of his sentenced one thousand at this time.