A good comment from Dec. 2006 on this article

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Aug 21, 2007 at 15:42

I think that this time a very good comment was ahead of Dr Pipes' article.

http://www.danielpipes.org/comments/68754

" Dec 8, 2006 I worked as an Engineer in a Petroleum Company in Jeddah , I have seen the truth with my own eyes in Saudi Arabia ( Sordid Wahabia)

I was selected for a Office Post as an engineer in Petroleum Company in Jeddah , Saudi Arabia .As soon as I landed on the International Airport , I faced harassment by Immigration Officials . They tore my Bible and Threw a Picture of Jesus Christ in dust bin in front of me . I was very sad and tears came into my eyes . I prayed to Lord and kept quiet as I have to earn for my old Parents medical treatment and to pay College fees of my younger sister & brother.

I joined the Company .I worked there for 3 years almost , I faced harassment on bases of religion and specially during Ramadan Times . Although my relatives , family members have warned me not to go to any Islamic Country like Saudia. But economic conditions forced me to go there. Rest is history . I have no words to express the insult , harassment and personal attack on me , my country and my faith . Earlier I thought that Muslims believe Christians & Jews as " Ahlul Kitaab " ( Brothers of the book ) , But in reality it was totally opposite."

> the Saudi ban on churches and Bibles and Stars of David,

I read somewhere that ARAMCO started quite early to avoid (=ban) also the asterix sign as it resembled too much the Star of David.

> The Koran, for example, is not a Saudi artifact and cannot be held hostage to Saudi policies. However closely it identifies with Islam, the Saudi government does not own the religion.

The Saudis have no written constitution. It is the Quran that is their constitution. So it might be banned not as a religious but a political symbol, might it not ?

>Such joint action also sends a long-overdue signal to the despots of Riyadh – that Westerners have thrown off their servile obeisance to
>their writ. Who will be first to act?

I guess the Saudis. They will pay extra bribes to the Western media to show how 'pluralistic' and 'progressive' Saudi Arabia is and how "misunderstood" the kingdom is in the West. I remember one such program on German TV after the fake elections there in 2005. They showed a bedouins' tent and the 'democratically elected' deputies (clan heads) inside, praised the wise king and mouthed about "radical changes" , "democratization" of the country ...

>If no government acts, what about a delegation of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and others boarding a Saudia flight with much
>publicity, openly displaying their religious artifacts, daring the airline to confiscate these? Or which public service law firm in
>those eleven countries will bring local human rights suits against Saudia as an arm of the Saudi government?

In that case the Saudi Moslems would stage riots (organized by the mutawa'in) protesting violently against desecration of their "holy" religious places, using symbols offending Islam etc. At least the pope will not participate. I am sorry to say but Dr. Pipes seems to be quite naive on this point, I think.

>This issue provides an opportunity for left and right to unite against radical Islam. Who will take the lead to confront Saudi discrimination, arrogance, and repression?

I am also dreaming of uniting right and left against Islam. But I feel the leftists will not unite with the right against Islam even after learning that not only the Bible but also the works of Marks, Engels and Lenin are are all banned in Saudi Arabia. They will rather continue to stick to their unholy alliance with Islam against the West to the bitter end.

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