It Isn't Just ISIS!

Remember the young Saudi who was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for the sin of blogging?  He barely survived the first 50 lashes and it was to continue once a week until 1000 had been reached.

There was huge outcry from around the world and the sentence was postponed.  During that time it was appealed to the Saudi Supreme Court which has upheld the sentence. Forget the ins and outs of the "crime" which shouldn't even be debatable. Consider the mentality of those who impose this type of punishment and those who watch and cheer.

So now what?  Aren't we fighting, in our own inimitable way, ISIS for the same cruel behavior?  How can we aid the Saudis when they act in the same barbaric way?  Or any other of the Middle Eastern countries who dole out similar punishments and we well know it.

Now Obama can go back in history and claim that early Popes often ordered the same type of punishment.  Yes, they did, but civilized societies recognized the cruelty of it and ceased.

I've often said part of this country's problem is that we don't understand the Middle Eastern culture. When we become aware of their practices in this day and age we are shocked and appalled as well we should be.  So what do we do when the Saudis tell us and everyone else in the human rights community hat we have no right to interfere with their internal policies and practices.  In other words, shove it.

I'd like to see the world practice some payback rather than conceding everything workable, like severe sanctions, in the futile and naive effort to bring them into the world community.  We've seen from Iran they have no intention of changing their ways; nor is Syria or Iraq or any of the others.  They play nice at the negotiations, for anything, while they beat and maim their citizens.

I believe we need to play a more active part in defeating ISIS because they are the worst of the worst but as for the others, no more aid or weapons or training or anything else they want until they eliminate such practices.

True, they cannot and will not change over night, but they can immediately halt archaic methods of punishment. If they don't we need to do more than complain.  We can.  We won't.  A young blogger is likely to die because of it.  I hope the mirror's reflection is pleasing to those who can apply the pressure to make a change but won't.