Meet Our Demands

A march by several thousand moderate westerners is due to take place in Riyadh, the Saudi capital this weekend calling for the liberalisation of the Islamic state’s rules on alcohol.

As a fundamentalist Wahabi kingdom alcohol production, distribution and consumption are all prohibited with hefty fines, long prison sentences and public humiliation (corporal punishment) dished out to those who violate the strict rules.

For example in 2001 four British workers were jailed and sentenced to lashes in Saudi Arabia for illegal alcohol trading. Kelvin Hawkins was sentenced to 500 lashes and jailed for two-and-a-half years. Paul Moss was sentenced to 500 lashes and jailed for two years. David Mornin was sentenced to 300 lashes, jailed for one year and fined 40,000 Riyals, about £7,400.

Economic contribution

This weekend’s protest organiser Mike Smith, 37 and a father of 2 daughters, a former rugby league captain and a chartered mechanical engineer working on a Saudi oil project said “we are seeing increasing levels of Europhobia every month. Westerners are denied their basic human rights. For example our right to have a few beers on a Friday or Saturday evening or have a glass of sherry before our evening meal is non-existent.

“Each year westerners make a massive contribution to the economic well being of Saudi Arabia. We are not asking for debauched 24 hour public drinking, just the freedom to assuage our thirst in this hot dry desert with a cold, refreshing pint of lager after work, and for our wives to legally have a cold glass of white wine or a gin and tonic on the rocks amongst friends. The heat is blistering during the day, come on we say, it is not too much to ask is it?”

Saudi authorities have indicated that any attempt by western oil workers to protest would be dealt with swiftly according to Sharia law and that the military was on stand-by to deal with any trouble.

“Westerners cannot expect to come over here as workers and expect our traditional way of life to be altered to suit a tiny but vociferous minority” Dr Al-Faqih told a hastily arranged press conference by the Saudi Justice Department.

He added “ We have observed centuries of alcohol prohibition – it is part of our culture and if these people are not happy with our rulings then they can always jump on the next plane back to their dens of decadent iniquity in London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Don’t bring your own intolerant baggage with you has to be the watch phrase to all those who expect a land of milk and honey in these here parts”.

Reality check

Western workers publicly protesting against the rulings of the all powerful Imams?
Western workers publicly demanding tolerance for their traditions and culture?
Western workers in the oil rich state expecting any kind of favourable response from the ruling Saudi princes?

On all three counts the answer is “no”! The above spoof shows how radically different westerners are treated, and furthermore willingly expect to be treated, in Islamic regimes where they freely chose to work, compared to the endless demands for change called by Muslims upon their western hosts.

Westerners chose to work in regimes such as Saudi Arabia because the pay is good and the jobs make for interesting career development opportunities. Western workers also understand and live under the strict Sharia law which controls those regimes. They never ask for long established traditions and customs to be modified to suit the westerners. They never call for death to those people they work alongside and who run the country, they certainly do not take to the streets calling for the overthrow of the ruling regime.

Leading British Muslim organisations affiliated to the Muslim Council of Britain are today holding a rally in Trafalgar Square, London, to protest against the rising wave of “xenophobia” towards Muslims across Europe and the cartoons caricatures of their Prophet Muhammad which have been reprinted in many newspapers around the world, which Muslims claim to be offensive.

One law for them, one for the rest of us.

 

First a fair and honest trial for the cartoonists immediately followed by the beheadings. It's like some bad joke:

"RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia’s top cleric called on the world’s Muslims to reject apologies for the “slanderous” caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed and demanded the authors and publishers of the cartoons be tried and punished, Saudi newspapers reported Saturday."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/prophet_drawings

But remember, Islam is a Religon of Peace, LOL.

 

Mike Smith and Co. have major cojones if they go through with the protest.