6
POPS What Queen Rania wants for the world Beauty and brains ..."in the West, people look at the veil as a sign of oppression or weakness. This is not true as long as a woman is wearing it because of her belief."
1
POPSMiddle East Minefield For Barack Obama But Israeli officials - with whom he's reportedly meeting on Tuesday - will press him to define his policies about nuclear power and Iran, experts said. "The Israelis are going to have real questions about Iran, and about how he views taking out nuclear facilities there - if they haven't done it already themselves by the time Bush leaves," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "That topic will come up, on both sides. He'll get asked about it," said former State Department Mideast analyst Graeme Bannerman. "He's got to remember he's speaking to Americans - he's in a campaign, after all - even if that means he has to say things that make the locals very nervous."
0
POPSOne Saudi Blogger, Four Months In Jail Protesters gathered at the Saudi embassy in Washington to demand Farhan's release. Around the world, others lobbied in support of this Saudi blogger. Finally, he is free. Other writers are in jail around the world. When we pay attention, it helps.
3
POPSIntellectuals Condemn Fatwa Against Writers Last month Saudi Arabia's Shura council threw out a proposal for a law promoting respect for other religions and religious symbols, apparently for fear it might lead to the building of churches. King Abdullah recently called for the first time for a dialogue among Muslims, Christians and Jews after discussing the idea with Pope Benedict XVI. But it was reported yesterday that the kingdom's leading official cleric, the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, had denied issuing an invitation to Israeli rabbis to take part in a conference.
0
POPSCondemned Saudi 'Witch' To Be Publicly Beheaded Among her accusers was a man who alleged she made him impotent. Its letter to King Abdullah says the woman was tried for the undefined crime of witchcraft and that her conviction was on the basis of the written statements of witnesses who said that she had bewitched them.
8
POPSPeace Loving Moslims Find Witch Guilty Evidently the Dark Ages have special significance to the peoples of Saudi Arabia. This latest tidbit chronicles the successful trial of an illiterate Saudi woman on charges of witchcraft. Witchcraft! And this is a civilized country? But hold on Westerners. How is this different from the still occurring practice of exorcism for demon possession? So put away your smugness. Although, I'll have to admit we've done away with the death penalty for demon possession. I suppose that's progress?
39
POPSSaudi woman to be beheaded for being a "witch" Being beheaded by sword in a public place... For being a "witch" or practising "witchcraft"... Welcome back to the Middle Ages: "Burn the witch!" or "Behead the witch!", by the name of God. Correct me if I'm wrong, Saudi Arabia is a close ally of the US, who enthusiastically invaded Iraq to bring "human rights and democracy" to Arabs, right?
0
POPSMalaysiakini: PM dissolves Parliament Lucky 13 it was after all... PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the dissolution of the Parliament this afternoon. Just one day before, our flip-flop master had said it wouldn't happen today...
7
POPSSaudis lift ban on women drivers Mohammad al-Zulfa, a reformist member of the Saudi consultative Shura Council, which scrutinises official policies in the oil-rich state, said reversing the ban was part of King Abdullah's "clever" strategy of incremental reform. "When it was first raised, the extremists were really mad," he said. "Now they just complain. It is diminishing into a form of consent." (DT)
3
POPS Senior Saudi Prince Offers Israel "Peace Vision" He said Israel could expect some benefits on the way to signing a treaty and making a full withdrawal, noting that after the 1993 Oslo interim accords with the Palestine Liberation Organisation, regional cooperation had begun and the Jewish state had achieved representation in several Arab states. Israel was wary of the Arab League plan partly because it would entail handing back the Syrian Golan Heights captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as well as re-dividing Jerusalem, of which Israel annexed the captured Arab eastern part in 1967.
8
POPSGeorge of Arabia What ever happened to all that retoric about "FREEDOM"... Saudi Arabia is the leader of the NON_FREE, SICK SOCIETY that is gushing money and trampling on any sense of freedom or human dignity. I hear that Bush has invited the King to his ranch for a little barbaque. Just a friendly kind of gesture. Right now I can't figure out who is sicker....them or us!
2
POPSBush in Arabia--Blames Economy on Arab Oil The economy is sinking in part due to oil prices (which inflates gas and all consumer good prices), but not Saudi or OPEC, and Bush knows it. The market price of oil is driven by war fears in the market (war mongering increases price of crude), not OPEC production. Then he says the Saudi ought to warm up to Israel...you know, that friendly rogue nation with WMD.
3
POPSSaudi King Pardons Rape Victim President Bush said that if the same thing happened to one of his daughters, he would be "angry at those who committed the crime. And I'd be angry at a state that didn't support the victim." I'm not a Bush supporter, but I am pleased to know that in this case he had done what is right. Kudos to Bush and King Abdullah.
1
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update