It gets worse

Submitted by Denis MacEoin (United Kingdom), Aug 21, 2007 at 15:38

The anti-Jewish, anti-Christian attitude is bad enough, but not enough people know that the Saudis come down hard on anybody and anything that is not Wahhabi. This means all non-Wahhabi Muslims, not just Sufis and Shi'ites. The Saudis have now destroyed something like 90 precent of Mecca and Medina, including many significant historical sites, just so nobody is tempted to pray at places associated with Muhammad and his companions. They are, in a certain sense, insane, because they go to such extraordinary lengths to wipe out anything they don't like.

An international campaign fronted by Muslim archaeologists and historians, demanding the restoration of the Islamic heritage (insofar as any of it can now be restored) might serve a good purpose. It could be a chance to show many Muslims that there are non-Muslims who care about how Islamic shrines and historic buildings are treated, something positive to rally round. I don't think action in the West against Saudia will have any impact. If a bunch of Buddhists etc. turn up with images, they'll just be imprisoned and may risk much worse. Until Western countries can wean themselves off Saudi oil and (in the British case) arms deals, no action of any strength will be taken. The Saudis feel immune to criticism, go to great lengths currently to ward it off legally, and are treated with kid gloves everywhere.

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