oscuria wrote:
Khan_Sama wrote:
That's an unethical reply. Execution in the KSA is reserved only for murderers and rapists. At the most, if you sneak into Mecca, you will be detained overnight, fined, and deported.
Believe you me, if it wasn't that news travels fast, a kaffir in Makka would truly be executed. If not by the government, then by the locals.
Late reply, I know, but I must mention that one of my classmates, belonging to the church of South India, a protestant denomination, snuck into Mecca at the age of 4 along with his father disguised as a Muslim. They were not caught, but there are several other accounts of non-Muslims entering Mecca, who were caught. Nothing happened, apart from denial of visas for re-entry into the whole Kingdom, and probably a fine or jailed for a few days...you're just denied entry. The view you have of the KSA is that of a barbaric society with throws stones for looking at the opposite sex. Actually, the KSA is just an ultra orthodox Islamic version of America. There's a lot of change going on by the day. As for the people, if you're a Haji (one who goes on the pilgrimage to Haj), they immediately offer food. They're not scrutinizing if you're Muslim or not, that's the government's job.
Don't forget, Texas executes more people than any other sovereign entity in the world. China is second. Saudi Arabia rarely conducts executions these days. Something I detest, I support capital punishment for murderers and rapists, provided there's sufficient circumstantial evidence and/or witnesses. These days, the KSA is sending them to jail, and sentencing some poor woman (Fawzi Falih) accused of witchcraft to death (back in Febuary, the King is likely to pardon her soon.. Did I mention that the KSA has the worst judicial system in existence? Her lawyers weren't even allowed into the court!). I can criticize the KSA again and again, but there's virtually no end to it. Wahaabism violates basic human rights, that I can agree with. Iran has a much better system, in fact, I think their law system, although I don't agree with it either, is the best in the Islamic world.
The problem is not with the people of the KSA. It's not even their monarchy, the royal family is helpless. It's the Wahaabi commanders of the state, who have manupilated the royal family for almost a century. Things were much better when the Hashemites ruled the KSA.
As for lynching in the Christian world... it still goes on till this day. Several hundred people were lynched for witchcraft in Limpopo province in South Africa between 1994-96, for example.
Yes, Muslims can indeed go to Israel. 25% of Israel's population (excluding Gaza and the West bank) consists of Arab-Israelis, the majority being Palestinians, the remaining being Syrian bedouins (in the north), Hejaz bedouins (south), and Druze. 80% of them are pro-Israel. However, large groups of visiting Muslims are watched by the police. I recall reading a book on attrocities by Israel almost a decade ago, one group of American Muslim converts were arrested in the late 80's on suspicion of terrorist activities (they were actually on a humanitarian mission in the west bank), and were tortured for days. The American consulate refused to help them. I don't know if the situation has changed now. I know a couple of Israelis online however, and they say that there's complete tolerance now, except at the Gaza border. One of them is a soldier manning the crossing, so I guess he knows best.
05 May 2008, 4:47 pm
