AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Decision to host former Tunisian president sparks angry criticism on the internet.
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's former president, has taken refuge in Saudi Arabia following a mass public uprising and weeks of deadly protests.
Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that he and his family have been welcomed into the kingdom due to "exceptional circumstances" in Tunisia.
"Out of concern for the exceptional circumstances facing the brotherly Tunisian people and in support of the security and stability of their country... the Saudi government has welcomed president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family to the kingdom," the government said in a statement.
Ben Ali fled to the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Friday, where he and his family were ushered to a heavily guarded palace tucked behind palm trees and greenery.
By taking him in, the Saudis wanted to "defuse" the tensions on the streets of Tunisia. It was certainly "not out of sympathy" for Ben Ali, Mustafa Alani, research director at Dubai's Gulf Research Centre, said.
The Saudis had two options -- either they "contribute to solving the problem by giving him refuge" or "let him stay in the country ... (where) things would go from bad to worse," he said.
Conservative society
Ben Ali, renowned for cracking down on Islamists, had to finally settle in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia as he was refused asylum by one of his closest allies, France.
"It might be ironic for a person who fought the hijab (Muslim women's head cover) to end up being given asylum in an Islamic state," Riad Kahwaji, head of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said.
"His wife will have to live veiled, under the law there."
In a post on Saudi news website sabq.org, one reader wrote: "Only now does the dictator who fought religion and the religious get to know the land of the two holy shrines (Mecca and Medina) ... You and your wife are not welcome."
"We hope the kingdom will help us bring this man [Ben Ali] to justice, if needed," said another post under the name of "citizen" on the Dubai-based and Saudi-owned alarabiya.net news website.
However, Ben Ali had to accept "a long list of conditions" before the secular leader was given asylum in Saudi Arabia, including being "shut out of the media and out of politics," according to Alani. >>> | Sunday, January 16, 2011
