Saudi Arabian 'religious police' torture Christian - Is Bush using this as an excuse to break ties

On September 15, Saudi Arabian authorities charged Brian O'Connor, a Christian from India, with drug use, selling alcohol, and possession of pornography. They also accused him of possessing Bibles and preaching Christianity.

When a Saudi court on October 20 sentenced O'Connor to 10 months in jail and 300 lashes for selling liquor, there was no mention of the proselytization charges�an omission that rights groups said was an attempt to cover up religious intolerance.

It was the muttawa'in, the semiautonomous "religious police" connected with the Saudi regime, that arrested O'Connor in Riyadh after he had been lured onto the street by an anonymous caller claiming to want to talk about Christ. More than five months before he was formally charged, the 36-year-old O'Connor was then tortured in a mosque ...

According to the human-rights group Middle East Concern (MEC), O'Connor's video cds were not pornographic but biblical excerpts and documentaries, along with movies about the Bible.

www.christianitytoday.com...

Before leaving the Bush Administration, Colin Powell named Saudi Arabia a Country of Particular Concern , giving the United States the power to apply economic sanctions if they deem it necessary.

At first, what I saw here was a story of religious intolerance. However, looking deeper into it, I believe that the Bush Administration could be using this story (and that of the 300 Christians raided by the muttawa'in) as an excuse to break ties with Saudi.

Practicing any religion other than Islam, and specifically the Sunni faith, is illegal by fiat in Saudi Arabia. Its an intolerant and brutal regime that uses torture to punish 'criminals'. I think its wrong. Anyone stupid enough to go there and sell bibles and spread christianity is a jerk tho, and maybe 300 lashes will tell him it wasn't a good idea.

And Bush says Islam is a religion of peace...?

Of course, Christianity Today is not exactly a trusted name in Christian news either. That's Billy Graham's magazine, isn't it? That guy wrote the book on compromising.

Originally posted by Amethyst
And Bush says Islam is a religion of peace...?

So when a group of christians commits murder, its just bad people, but when some thugs in the middle east do it, its because they're degenerate muslims who all act like that?

"Judge not" no?

Very tolerant way to treat other religion, should we non muslim countries do something like this and burn people who are not christian or something like that.
Well ,can UN do some demands on that or the oil production is preventing them for now? Religious police? I just can't believe it exists.

Thugs nygdan? I thought this was done by the police? Did I read that wrong?

I dont care what country or faith "religious police" is a bad idea plan and simple.

Are these the same "religious police" that were accused of stopping schoolgirls from leaving a blazing building because they were not wearing Islamic dress?

Yes, that for the girls being left to burn is just one more example why this should end, those religious militia, police or what ever they think they are, thugs indeed, is there any way to stop this?

This is not against islam, but against those who want to make their own justice how they like, I condemn those people, shame on the country which make this possible.

[edit on 3-1-2005 by MankoW]

Well saudi arabica provides cheap oil to the US. Islam will always be a religion of peace of course aslong as arab oil keeps on flowing.

[edit on 4-1-2005 by Thinker]