Ashraf Fayadh - - Palestinian poet . . . originally sentenced to 4 years in jail and 800 lashes, now sentenced to death.  "The religious police first detained Fayadh in August 2013 after receiving a complaint that he was cursing against Allah and the prophet Muhammad, insulting Saudi Arabia and distributing a book of his poems that promoted atheism." 

They apparently didn't make that stick, so they went after him for smoking and having long hair. Then he posted a video online of religious police lashing a man in public, and they really went after him.  This is what happens when a religion dictates the law of the land.  

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/no...cing-islam

Ssh...those are our allies.  Don't you know that the Saudis are the good head choppers?

OK muslims, time to step up. Tell me again how this is a religion of love, peace and tolerance.

Religious police? that is just such a weird idea I can't get my head around it.

It's not exactly new.

(February 12, 2016 at 2:53 pm)zebo-the-fat Wrote: Religious police?  that is just such a weird idea I can't get my head around it.

Imagine christer religious police in the US.

Jesus, is there a single person in the whole country doing it right ??

It would be a blood bath . . .

(February 12, 2016 at 7:03 pm)vorlon13 Wrote:

(February 12, 2016 at 2:53 pm)zebo-the-fat Wrote: Religious police?  that is just such a weird idea I can't get my head around it.

Imagine christer religious police  in the US.

Jesus, is there a single person in the whole country doing it right ??

It would be a blood bath . . .

Ted Cruz is working on it.

I'm not excusing what the Saudis euphemistically call 'justice', but to be fair, Ashraf Fayadh was fairly stupid to run his yap about Saudi atrocities while IN Saudi Arabia.

It's fine to take the high road and point out the brutality and corruption of the system, but it is almost always a good idea to do so where the system you're criticizing can't get at you. I admire Fayadh's courage, but seriously, mate - Salmon Rushdie didn't visit Iran for a book tour of 'The Satanic Verses'.

Boru

Sure, that is true.

But being naive/overly brave shouldn't be a severely punishable offense.

This kind of shit is why Islam is such a "rapidly growing religion". It's the one most willing to use violence and force. Mind you, that's mainly because it's the religion that is in a position to get away with it. I wouldn't expect any better behaviour from Christianity, if the roles were reversed.

Religious police my arse cheeks. Allah must have a glass jaw and little itty bitty feelings.

Quote:But being naive/overly brave shouldn't be a severely punishable offense.

I agree completely, but this isn't about what Saudi Arabia should or shouldn't be, but about what Saudi Arabia is - a brutally repressive theocracy run by a family of 7th century throwbacks whose only methods of dealing with dissent are to jail, torture and murder dissenters.

Remember during the opening scene of 'Pulp Fiction', and the discussion about Antoine Roccamura? Well, to paraphrase Vincent Vega, 'Fucking Fayadh shoulda fucking known better.'

Boru