Middle East

Saudi Arabia is no softie when it comes to ‘crime fighting’ so why I ask would it decide now is the time to take the kinder, gentler approach to punishment? I mean, this is a country that still believes in the good ole death penalty via stoning, hanging and/or firing squad. It’s a bizarrely warped place where raped women must fear being punished as adulterers and face stoning death rather than receiving accurate recognition as VICTIMS and treated rightfully to needed medical care while being assured the justice system will punish their attackers. Nah, that’s not how things work in Saudi Arabia. Victims are punished and criminals – at least criminals in the eyes of most logical people – either go free or in the case of admitted al Qaeda supporters, are treated to a stay at the Saudi prison system equivalent of Club Med.

Last week, I heard some local morning radio show personalities interviewing a U.S. Army official about the U.S. Army’s 233th birthday. Interjected into the discussion about the ongoing local celebratory events was the usual stream of military propaganda painting the U.S. military as the world’s savior.

Mr. Army Official bragged about the 170,000 new recruits that voluntarily signed up despite the general public’s disapproval for the war in Iraq as some sort of sorry attempt to sweeten our sour image of the world-class fakin ongoing fiasco since the illegal invasion many years and many senseless casualties ago.

Get married or you’re fired! Something uttered by a new version of the obnoxious Donald Trump on his famed reality show The Apprentice? No, afraid not. This is the threat issued to single workers at Iran’s state-owned Pars Special Economic Energy Zone Company which controls the gas and petrochemical network along the Gulf.

Shockingly: a screwy policy in Iran – home of the ‘fashion police,’ that go about harassing both citizens and foreign visitors alike for dressing too un-Islamically with such violations cited as ‘showing too much hair’ or wearing a color they deem too bright.

Guys: Can’t get it up? Blame a woman – at least that seems to be what’s happening in the story of this woman Fawza Falih who’s been sentenced to death for witchcraft in our favorite faked-up place: Saudi Arabia where a man’s problem is ALWAYS a woman’s fault.

Typical Saudi injustice system shenanigans: accuse someone of a nonsensical, far-fetched crime so imaginatively unreasonable you can’t possibly believe any justice system would take it seriously – but then remember there is a faked up place called Saudi Arabia where they sentence women to death for such bizarre crimes like a man’s impotence; the direction of the wind or the position of the sun in the sky if it displeases some man; taking too many breaths per hour which depletes oxygen levels for the male population; bearing ugly children even if she’s stunningly beautiful and dad’s a hideous beast - it’s her womb’s crime for failing to erase dad’s repulsive qualities from the child before giving birth to it. It’s always the woman’s fault in Saudi Arabia even for things upon which she has ZERO control or influence.

I am sure you are wondering what do two far-away countries have in common between each other and Valentine's Day. Perhaps they regular readers of this blog (if there are any) already know the answer because they can understand how I think. For all the others keep reading until it becomes apparent to you that, indeed, Valentine's Day, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines do have something in common.

I could try to give you a hint but it would have helped if you were a regular visitor of the BBC web site. Anyhow, I am sure that just by looking at the tags of this story you could get the basis of the story. It is about consumerism, religion and health. If you are still wondering then just keep reading. I hope that it will become clear to you.

If you’re looking for justice, Saudi Arabia is the wrong place to look especially if you’re a woman. Ever hear of a rape victim being punished as if she were the criminal rather than the victim? I’ve heard something as ridiculous as a provocatively dressed woman blamed for her own rape when the defense attorney tries to break down her character in a feeble attempt to convince the jury the rapist had no choice but to force himself on her just because she wore a tight blouse and short skirt and had a reputation for sleeping around - that warped mentality of ‘she was asking for it.’ That’s bad enough but how about a rape victim being sentenced for the circumstances surrounding her rape? BBC reported this tragic case of a 19-year old Saudi Arabian woman who was gang-raped by 7 men and has been sentenced to 6 months in prison and 200 lashes for her ‘crime.’

Rice orders babysitters for Blackwater.