Saudi bloggers attack Saudi Arabia over cartoon row
RIYADH, Feb 14 (Reuters) - In the anonymous world of the Internet, Saudi bloggers are attacking the government for its perceived role in stirring up Muslims around the world over cartoons satirising the Prophet Mohammad.
Offering opinions mainly in English that no one would dare express in the state-controlled Saudi media, they accuse the U.S.-allied authorities of exploiting the cartoons months after they were first published and ignoring Islamic causes.
"I don't recall such a reaction when Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded," wrote a Saudi blogger calling herself Jo. "More importantly, I haven't seen anything (being) done for the Palestinian cause besides financial support."
The global uproar over the cartoons came after Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Denmark last month in response to pressure from clerics and a popular campaign against Danish products in the kingdom, the site of Islam's holiest shrines.
There have been weeks of often violent protests across the Muslim world since, with Denmark's diplomatic missions being attacked and burned in Syria, Lebanon and Iran.
"Never have I been been this awed by the unity I finally began to witness among the otherwise motley yet interdependent blotches of regions, tribes and villages of the Arabian peninsula," woman blogger Farah wrote sarcastically.
"Now, however, all we can, equally and inseparably, say or think ... is: those damn Danes! Get them! Attack!"
The Internet is strictly policed in Saudi Arabia but many young people manage to get around the state censors by using proxies. Bloggers who write in English are among the most outspoken and some have been shut down.
BOLD OPINIONS
Another blogger calling himself "The Religious Policeman" said the government wanted to divert attention from the deaths of over 436 pilgrims in January during the haj pilgrimage.
The tragedies of a hostel collapse and overcrowding sparked rare domestic criticism of Saudi organisation of the haj.
"In order to divert public attention from the regrettable demise of a small number of pilgrims, Saudi newspapers ... revive the four-month-old story of cartoons about the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a Danish newspaper," the blogger wrote.
"So far this has worked reasonably well, although major Danish exports are bacon and lager beer, which we do not import, except as 'special consignments' for some members of your family," he wrote, in a sarcastic letter to King Abdullah.
With the help of religious police, Saudi Arabia imposes the strict Wahhabi form of Islam which tries to enforce a ban on non-Islamic products like alcohol and pork.
"What I fail to understand is that for an issue that has been simmering for many months, why it has suddenly hit boiling point," wrote another calling himself "Opinionated Voice".
"It is absurd that we are now known to become more outraged over these cartoons than we do over poverty, occupation, terrorism, war and oppression."
Offering opinions mainly in English that no one would dare express in the state-controlled Saudi media, they accuse the U.S.-allied authorities of exploiting the cartoons months after they were first published and ignoring Islamic causes.
"I don't recall such a reaction when Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded," wrote a Saudi blogger calling herself Jo. "More importantly, I haven't seen anything (being) done for the Palestinian cause besides financial support."
The global uproar over the cartoons came after Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Denmark last month in response to pressure from clerics and a popular campaign against Danish products in the kingdom, the site of Islam's holiest shrines.
There have been weeks of often violent protests across the Muslim world since, with Denmark's diplomatic missions being attacked and burned in Syria, Lebanon and Iran.
"Never have I been been this awed by the unity I finally began to witness among the otherwise motley yet interdependent blotches of regions, tribes and villages of the Arabian peninsula," woman blogger Farah wrote sarcastically.
"Now, however, all we can, equally and inseparably, say or think ... is: those damn Danes! Get them! Attack!"
The Internet is strictly policed in Saudi Arabia but many young people manage to get around the state censors by using proxies. Bloggers who write in English are among the most outspoken and some have been shut down.
BOLD OPINIONS
Another blogger calling himself "The Religious Policeman" said the government wanted to divert attention from the deaths of over 436 pilgrims in January during the haj pilgrimage.
The tragedies of a hostel collapse and overcrowding sparked rare domestic criticism of Saudi organisation of the haj.
"In order to divert public attention from the regrettable demise of a small number of pilgrims, Saudi newspapers ... revive the four-month-old story of cartoons about the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a Danish newspaper," the blogger wrote.
"So far this has worked reasonably well, although major Danish exports are bacon and lager beer, which we do not import, except as 'special consignments' for some members of your family," he wrote, in a sarcastic letter to King Abdullah.
With the help of religious police, Saudi Arabia imposes the strict Wahhabi form of Islam which tries to enforce a ban on non-Islamic products like alcohol and pork.
"What I fail to understand is that for an issue that has been simmering for many months, why it has suddenly hit boiling point," wrote another calling himself "Opinionated Voice".
"It is absurd that we are now known to become more outraged over these cartoons than we do over poverty, occupation, terrorism, war and oppression."
posted by Marko at 2/14/2006 07:28:00 AM
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