Quote Originally Posted by Eric C. View Post
I'm aware you do not favor anything having to do with the U.S., that's why obviously you picked Saudi Arabia. Then, I'm aware you'll always be supportive of stinky local dictatorships being absolute outcasts in this world, that's why you said nothing about Iran in that regard. But just in case, let me remind you that Iran still executes people (women mostly) by stoning for adultery (that is, ppl are basically stoned to death for what's actually not even a crime). The politic stuff makes us all prejudiced.
You are so predictable...

The difference between Iran and Saudi Arabia is that Iran has considerably more features of democracy than Saudi Arabia, which is ruled by a King and his council, similar to something straight out of medival times.

In addition, the entire Western world is raging against Iran, with critical articles a regular feature in the News. Not so for Saudi Arabia, which is rarely mentioned in the news at all. Anything that the Iranian government does wrong is usually blown up and reported for days, across the world. This is my reason for not singling out Iran to critisise. It is already the subject of a massive propaganda war, while Saudi is under the radar.

Equivalent stories from Saudi are given considerably less airtime:
Quote Originally Posted by BBC
Two die during Saudi Arabia protest at Shia cleric arrest

Eastern Province's Shia majority has long complained of marginalisation

Continue reading the main story Related Stories




Two men have been killed in Saudi Arabia during a protest against the arrest of a prominent Shia cleric.
Activists said Akbar al-Shakuri and Mohammed al-Filfil were shot by police while attending a demonstration in Qatif, a city in Eastern Province.
Meanwhile, this is an example of the leadership of Saudi Arabia:
Quote Originally Posted by London Evening Standard
Saudi prince 'killed manservant after sex attacks'

A Saudi prince beat his manservant to death in a London hotel after weeks of physical and sexual abuse, the Old Bailey heard today.
Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud, 34, is accused of murdering Bandar Abdulaziz, 32, at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone in February.

The prince, a grandson of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, is alleged to have subjected his aide to repeated vicious assaults over several weeks, two of which were caught on the hotel's CCTV.

Two male escorts also visited the prince's hotel suite and police found evidence on the prince's laptop that he had been visiting gay escort websites.
Neither of these states appeal to me in the least, but I find Iran ever so slightly less offputting than Saudi.

There is a not-so-subtle propaganda war against Iran, in preparation for the invasion that the USA is building up to.

Additionally, Iran is under economic sanctions and boycotts by all of the Western World, while Saudi Arabia is governed by the same Sharia laws but very rarely critisized, not subject to sanctions. Iran has the benefit of actually having independent courts and a reasonably consistent judicial framework, while in Saudi, the King has the last word, just like in the Middle ages.

But wait - Saudi sells oil to the US and pays in dollars..... Their King also allows US bases on their territory.... So in contrast to Iran, THEY are allowed to be islamic fundamentalists and get away with it! (and btw, as his reason for the 9/11 attacks, bin Laden cited the presence of US bases in Saudi, where he and most of the other attackers came from...)

I have Iranian refugee friends who have told me about life there, as well as their/their parents' complaints and reasons for leaving. I have friends/relatives who have lived as expats in Saudi, including my sister who spent almost 2 years there, working. So I consider myself reasonably well informed for a non local.

My opinions aside, my point is, neither you, nor I, Barrack Obama or Hilary Clinton has any business meddling in the affairs of Saudi Arabia, Iran OR Egypt!

Hagi Baba - If you don't like the new government of Egypt - FINE - you don't have to go there!

But respect the Egyptians right to choose a government that appeals to them, respect that they have a different culture and religion to you, and that they may not be interested in, or ready for, the type of government that you have in the USA, or we have in the EU.