Saudi Arabia Defines Atheists as Terrorists

SaudiArabiaAtheistTerrorists

By Tribes of the World [CC BY-SA 2.0 ], from Flickr

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has shocked many by announcing in a royal proclamation that under new laws, being an atheist and spreading atheist ideas is now a terrorist action. The Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia has issued new guide lines about what exactly defines an atheist, which includes, “calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based.”
 
The changes in law have come, the authorities in Saudi Arabia claim, to prevent dissidence and unrest within the country and to better protect their law-abiding citizens. They are specifically to prevent protests and other actions that could “harm public order.” However, it is perhaps more accurate to say that there is concern within Saudi Arabia that their citizens are traveling to Syria to aid in the fighting there, and then returning with new ideas about how a government should interact with its people. The re-definition of atheist is thought to be an easy way of tarring the names of those that the government of Saudi Arabia wishes to remove and criminalizing anyone that has thought or speech that contradicts the government’s official positions.

The effects of these changes in law, however, are not limited to new arrests that may occur in the future. They also apply to those that are currently in prison in Saudi Arabia. This could greatly alter the resolution of cases against inmates that are considered dissenters by the Saudi Arabian government. On the other hand, it has been argued that in many legal cases, these new definitions have been used for a while to convict people of slight offenses.

Saudi Arabia is understandably concerned about terrorism. After all, eighteen of the nineteen 9/11 bombers were from Saudi Arabia. This move, however, has caused outrage amongst human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, which monitors actions taken to limit the rights of citizens. The laws will merely aid officials within Saudi Arabia that are currently carrying out systematic campaigns of fear, intimidation, panic, and investigation of their own population.

Follow the Conversation on Twitter

24 comments

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    You cannot make a rabid dog a house pet. the allah-boys are not terrorists. They are muslims. Death, destruction, and chaos, is all they have ever offered. And they lie like dogs. Never to be believed.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Strange that the only terrorists that I see and hear about are the Islamists who will murder themselves and others in their desire to spread islam. I have never heard of an athiest strapping explosives to their body or cutting off someones head because they disagree with their views. Neither have I heard of an athiest wanting to return to the barbaric laws and practices of the middle ages. The article mentions that 18 out of the 19 bombers who blew themselves up on 9/11 were Saudie Arabian. Were these good God fearing men. This new law will be used against anyone who questions the Quran and sharia law. It outlaws free speech and expression and is just another control mechanism inposed on the people.

    • Alison Lesley
      11:41 am

      First of all we need to not to criticize other govts for the decision that they make for the protection of their people, culture, religion. and also lets not compare one country with another because tradition, culture regulation etc are different in different countries, a women in Saudi arabia or in Afghanistan takes pride in covering her face with hijab, (veil) but a woman in America sees this strange and orthodox, unprofessional.
      and what Paul Burns stated that muslims are terrorist, it is actually another example of how western media has played big role in misleading the western audience, showing them unreal and scrapped image of Islam.
      with current advancement in media and global connectivity western people should now understand that who is the kind and big player in the game of terrorism, it is America, who has been supporting, funding the terrorism, killing thousands of innocent people and doing all kinds of violence in muslim countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has resulted in anger and strong emotions against the western world in these countries, for better utilization of this feeling of revenge America has created and supporting small organizations who are gathering all those angry people and using them for achieving their goals
      Before pointing finger towards the entire community, we need to first of all see core of the problem.
      even according to many people including some american that 9/11 was total drama by the Govt of USA to find the way to Asia.
      and regard to question Quran and Sharia law: we muslims Quraan is the book of Almighty Allah and sharia law is best law in the world. this is proven fact, world has seen its practically how effective it is.
      we can have discussion and debate about proving its worth and importance in current world.
      so if we muslims have accepted this law and are happy with it, why should it bother others. and why should people on whom this law is not applied should question this law.
      and the biggest problems is that those who are question the law are those who do not have sufficient information about it, when they hear, see an instance of it, they start criticizing the law without giving attention to the circumstances, context etc.

      • Alison Lesley
        11:41 am

        I have worked in and around the middle East for many years and I have seen most parts that only Westerners have seen from TV.
        The problem that many people have with the Muslim religion is the fact that belief is compulsory… not a decision!
        I am a Buddhist by CHOICE, I was raised Christian and was encouraged by my parents to find a belief and ask questions to find something that agreed with how I felt based on EDUCATION, I went “God Shopping”. Trying to find a belief that made sense to me and something I could believe in.
        I hold no animosity towards anyone for their belief, but I do think it is morally and ethically wrong to FORCE a belief system upon ANYONE!!
        No one has provided PROOF (Tangible) that anything exist on the other side of the curtain of death, We believe in something based upon FAITH!!

        • Alison Lesley
          11:41 am

          Mike I am also a Buddhist. When my boss sent me to Saudi Arabia, he instructed me to say that I was a Christian. There are no civil liberties at all in Saudi Arabia. The fat old King Is a tyrant and uses religion to control the populace. Religion should be to set you free and not enslave you,

      • Alison Lesley
        11:41 am

        If a country, leader, politician or public policy is wrong (no matter where) it should be questioned. Persecution of any minority group in the world, be it atheists, Jews, Christians, women, Hindus, any racial group, etc is wrong.

      • Alison Lesley
        11:41 am

        Have you been to Saudi Arabia Naseer? There is no civil liberties at all. None. This is especially true of religious freedom. The King of Saudi Arabia is simply a 6th tyrant.

      • Alison Lesley
        11:41 am

        NY TIMES’ article by Thomas Friedman 2014/09/17
        ” Saudi Arabia cannot continue fighting ISIS and feeding the ideology that nurtures ISIS. It will hurt more and more Muslims.”

        We, too, have to stop tolerating this. For years, the U.S. has “played the role of the central bank of Middle East stability,” noted Mousavizadeh.
        “……. always there no matter what the Saudis do, “has delayed the day that Saudi Arabia has to face up to its internal contradictions,” and reform its toxic ruling bargain. The future of Islam and our success against ISIS depend on it.”
        Here is NYTIMES link:

        http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/opinion/thomas-friedman-isis-and-the-arab-world.html?action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=article

      • Alison Lesley
        11:41 am

        Why on earth shouldn’t we criticize other governments? Sharia law is a human rights violation. Go ahead and believe what you want, but don’t drag me or others — including your fellow citizens — along with you.

      • Alison Lesley
        11:41 am

        naseer:
        “First of all we need to not to criticize other govts for the decision that they make”
        …… you are being an apologist for the indefensible …….

    • Alison Lesley
      11:41 am

      Yes, almost all the terrorists on 911 were Muslims from Saudi Arabia. Since there is no religious freedom at all in Saudi Arabia, the point is mute.

  • Tom">Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Another sad day – well, what do you expect from absolute monarchy? They want to survive at any cost.

    I still wonder how US can say its standing for world freedom while at the same time being Saudi Arabia’s biggest allay. Not with a straight face I imagine.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Guess that makes half of all Jews terrorists, haha…

    • Alison Lesley
      11:41 am

      I would also make a little more than a billion Buddhists also terrorists.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    The sad fact is the vast majority of Muslims are no different religiously than the rest of us. But they are too afraid to challenge Islamic extremists for fear of getting killed.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Allah should be call the the creator of incest, since he create only one pair of human, he has already in his creation plan for the children of his creation to commit incest to continue the human race.

    Since the act of incest is part of Allah’s creation handy work, it must be reclassified as a holy act.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Saudi kingdom sometimes make controversial decisions for no reason at all. The kingdom is only surviving on religious sentiments prevailing in the area.

    • Alison Lesley
      11:41 am

      There is a very good reason. It is called control. The King controls the populace through religious fear.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Another country I won’t be going to.

    • Alison Lesley
      11:41 am

      Unless you are invited, doubtful you will. There are no attractions in Saudi Arabia.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Someone needs to expose to the world the hypocrisy of the Saudi Royals by releasing videos of their behavior as they gamble, drink and patronize prostitutes in Las Vegas.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    Truth is the enemy. At some point in the future USA will cut all support for Saudi. They need to remember that.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    That puts me and a whole bunch of people of my acquaintance into the terrorist camp. Funny how we also tend to the peaceful liberal side of things.

  • Alison Lesley
    11:41 am

    I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for 13 years. 5 years on a DOD contract and 8 years with ARAMCO. All that time I worked with and for Saudis, There is no problem. I traveled through the country by road and air with no problems. While with ARAMCO, I had Saudi women working with me. They drove to work in Dhahran and lived in Dhahran. They were educated and had degrees in Engineering and Business Administration. I an a christian and there was no problems, some of the Bedouin I worked with were Wahhabi, no problem. The problem is the leftest, raciest foreign media.

Leave a comment