RIYADH: Saudi authorities
warned non-Muslim
expatriates on Friday, the
first day of Ramzan, not to
eat, drink, or smoke in
public until the end of the Muslim holy month's
sunrise-to-sunset fast or
face expulsion. The interior ministry of the
oil-rich kingdom called on expatriates to "show consideration for
feelings of Muslims" and "preserve the
sacred Islamic rituals." Otherwise, a
ministry statement said, Saudi
authorities will cancel violators' work
contracts and expel them. Saudi Arabia's population of 27 million
includes some 8 million expatriates,
including Asians, Arabs, and westerners,
according to government figures. The ultraconservative Sunni kingdom is
the home of Islam's holiest sites. The
warning - which is issued at the
beginning of Ramzan every year - serve
as a reminder that the western-allied
monarchy must answer to a strict religious establishment that holds de
facto veto power over many of its
policies. With challenges to the established
order growing bolder from a
population nearly half of which is under
30, Saudi Arabia has recently made
some moves to show moderation. It is
sending female athletes to the Olympics for the first time this year. King
Abdullah has promised to allow women
to run and vote in municipal elections
in 2015. He also has tried to rein in the
country's feared morality police. But Saudi rights advocate Waleed Aboul
Khair believes that while such moves
give impression that the grip of
hardliners has eased, "when you look
around, nothing has changed and
suppression has not changed." He is facing trial for "tarnishing the
kingdom's reputation," mostly by his
political activism for women's rights
and other issues. Warnings or no warnings, he says,
"expatriates are always at risk of
expulsion for the least offence in the
kingdom." The prince newly appointed to handle
most aspects of law enforcement is
known as a strict adherent to religious
rules. Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was
governor of the holy city of Mecca
before becoming interior minister. Saudi Arabia is wary of the wave of
Arab Spring uprisings that has toppled
longtime authoritarian leaders in Egypt,
Libya, Tunisia and neighboring Yemen. It followed a carrot-and-stick strategy
to contain unrest by pledging around
$120 billion for the kingdom's lower
income groups. It has heavily cracked
down on protests, especially in eastern
regions dominated by Shias demanding greater rights, and is steering a middle
course between conservatives and
reformers among the Sunni majority
The Times of India on Mobile
Funny thing is Muslims will be the first one to whine for rights when they are in Minority, They will do such things to Non-Muslims when in Majority.
Some Nations like France, Burma understood this before.
warned non-Muslim
expatriates on Friday, the
first day of Ramzan, not to
eat, drink, or smoke in
public until the end of the Muslim holy month's
sunrise-to-sunset fast or
face expulsion. The interior ministry of the
oil-rich kingdom called on expatriates to "show consideration for
feelings of Muslims" and "preserve the
sacred Islamic rituals." Otherwise, a
ministry statement said, Saudi
authorities will cancel violators' work
contracts and expel them. Saudi Arabia's population of 27 million
includes some 8 million expatriates,
including Asians, Arabs, and westerners,
according to government figures. The ultraconservative Sunni kingdom is
the home of Islam's holiest sites. The
warning - which is issued at the
beginning of Ramzan every year - serve
as a reminder that the western-allied
monarchy must answer to a strict religious establishment that holds de
facto veto power over many of its
policies. With challenges to the established
order growing bolder from a
population nearly half of which is under
30, Saudi Arabia has recently made
some moves to show moderation. It is
sending female athletes to the Olympics for the first time this year. King
Abdullah has promised to allow women
to run and vote in municipal elections
in 2015. He also has tried to rein in the
country's feared morality police. But Saudi rights advocate Waleed Aboul
Khair believes that while such moves
give impression that the grip of
hardliners has eased, "when you look
around, nothing has changed and
suppression has not changed." He is facing trial for "tarnishing the
kingdom's reputation," mostly by his
political activism for women's rights
and other issues. Warnings or no warnings, he says,
"expatriates are always at risk of
expulsion for the least offence in the
kingdom." The prince newly appointed to handle
most aspects of law enforcement is
known as a strict adherent to religious
rules. Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was
governor of the holy city of Mecca
before becoming interior minister. Saudi Arabia is wary of the wave of
Arab Spring uprisings that has toppled
longtime authoritarian leaders in Egypt,
Libya, Tunisia and neighboring Yemen. It followed a carrot-and-stick strategy
to contain unrest by pledging around
$120 billion for the kingdom's lower
income groups. It has heavily cracked
down on protests, especially in eastern
regions dominated by Shias demanding greater rights, and is steering a middle
course between conservatives and
reformers among the Sunni majority
The Times of India on Mobile
Funny thing is Muslims will be the first one to whine for rights when they are in Minority, They will do such things to Non-Muslims when in Majority.
Some Nations like France, Burma understood this before.
