Kelley Carter
2 October 2009
3:40 p.m.
Recently the Saudi government publicly lashed twenty Saudi youths on the country’s national day. The Saudi press reported that there were incidents of looting and shop smashed. However, other reports stated that violence only broke out after Saudi conservatives tried to stop the youths from taking place in a festival. The festival, which is regarded as blasphemous, is apparently a celebration of the country’s national day. The turbulence is rare in Khobar, which is usually a tightly controlled city. Many Wahhabist conservatives, the dominant form of Islam in which followers adhere to strict codes, were unhappy that a co-educational university opened on national day and many Saudi websites say they provoked the violent confrontation when young Saudis began participating. Though Saudi newspapers are officially reporting that the youth rampaged and smashed shops and restaurants to loot.
In a tightly controlled religious state any person speaking out against the doctrine which the state supports will be quieted. However, in this case it doesn’t seem the youths were even supporting anything in particular. The religious conservatives were offended merely by their participation in the festivities. Whether or not the Saudi newspapers were reporting the story correctly is beyond me. However, with many Saudi’s personally involved reporting in the internet something different than the papers were claiming seems to suggest that the newspapers are heavily controlled by the government. This limit of free speech can have detrimental affects on a people because their stories aren’t being heard and false information supporting the system of government can delay governmental reform that needs to happen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8280704.stm
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