La lutte des princes saoudiens pour succéder au roi Abdallah
Le roi Abdallah entend nouer une alliance de sang, en cherchant à marier un de ses fils avec une fille de son rival et demi-frère, Nayef. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Plusieurs clans de la famille royale briguent le trône du monarque âgé de 84 ans.

Nicolas Sarkozy est arrivé dans un royaume engagé dans une offensive militaire contre des rebelles chiites, qui cherchent à le déstabiliser à partir du Yémen, voisin. Mais cette campagne fortement médiatisée, conduite par le vice-ministre de la Défense, Khaled Ben Sultan, s'inscrit également dans la lutte que les prétendants au trône se livrent pour succéder au roi Abdallah, âgé de 84 ans. Un processus de désignation obscur et complexe à la cour des six mille princes d'Arabie, dont les immenses richesses pétrolières aiguisent les appétits de pouvoir.

Ce dernier devrait échoir à un frère (ou demi-frère) d'Abdallah, mais la plupart sont, eux aussi, âgés. À 83 ans, dont quarante à la tête du ministère de la Défense, l'héritier, Sultan, est malade et absent du royaume depuis un an. En meilleure santé, Nayef, le ministre de l'Intérieur, a tout de même 76 ans.

Le souverain a eu l'idée de créer en 2006 un conseil de l'allégeance pour apaiser les querelles internes, mais surtout pouvoir passer le relais à la deuxième génération, celle des petits-fils d'Ibn Saoud, le fondateur de l'Arabie moderne. Celui-ci ayant eu plusieurs dizaines d'enfants, ses petits-enfants sont évidemment très nombreux à lorgner le trône. Mais aujourd'hui, trois émergent du lot.

Mitab, un fils du roi, qui dirige la garde nationale. Mohamed Ben Nayef, fils du prince Nayef, qui commande les opérations antiterroristes au ministère de l'Intérieur. Et Khaled Ben Sultan (KBS), qui profite de la guerre au Sud pour montrer au roi qu'il pourrait très bien succéder à son père à la tête du ministère de la Défense, quand Sultan mourra. Pacte familial >>> Georges Malbrunot, envoyé spécial du Figaro à Riyad | Mercredi 18 Novembre 2009

The Kingdom in the Closet
Sodomy is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, but gay life flourishes there. Why it is “easier to be gay than straight” in a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, lives in the closet
THE ATLANTIC: Yasser, a 26-year-old artist, was taking me on an impromptu tour of his hometown of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on a sweltering September afternoon. The air conditioner of his dusty Honda battled the heat, prayer beads dangled from the rearview mirror, and the smell of the cigarette he’d just smoked wafted toward me as he stopped to show me a barbershop that his friends frequent. Officially, men in Saudi Arabia aren’t allowed to wear their hair long or to display jewelry—such vanities are usually deemed to violate an Islamic instruction that the sexes must not be too similar in appearance. But Yasser wears a silver necklace, a silver bracelet, and a sparkly red stud in his left ear, and his hair is shaggy. Yasser is homosexual, or so we would describe him in the West, and the barbershop we visited caters to gay men. Business is brisk.

Leaving the barbershop, we drove onto Tahlia Street, a broad avenue framed by palm trees, then went past a succession of sleek malls and slowed in front of a glass-and-steel shopping center. Men congregated outside and in nearby cafés. Whereas most such establishments have a family section, two of this area’s cafés allow only men; not surprisingly, they are popular among men who prefer one another’s company. Yasser gestured to a parking lot across from the shopping center, explaining that after midnight it would be “full of men picking up men.” These days, he said, “you see gay people everywhere.”

Yasser turned onto a side street, then braked suddenly. “Oh shit, it’s a checkpoint,” he said, inclining his head toward some traffic cops in brown uniforms. “Do you have your ID?” he asked me. He wasn’t worried about the gay-themed nature of his tour—he didn’t want to be caught alone with a woman. I rummaged through my purse, realizing that I’d left my passport in the hotel for safekeeping. Yasser looked behind him to see if he could reverse the car, but had no choice except to proceed. To his relief, the cops nodded us through. “God, they freaked me out,” Yasser said. As he resumed his narration, I recalled something he had told me earlier. “It’s a lot easier to be gay than straight here,” he had said. “If you go out with a girl, people will start to ask her questions. But if I have a date upstairs and my family is downstairs, they won’t even come up.” >>> Nadya Labi* | May 2007

*Nadya Labi is a writer based in New York City.

Saudi Men Spend Fortune On Hair Transplants
ONE INDIA: Dubai: Saudi men spend some 720 million Saudi Riyal (Rs eight billion) every year on hair transplants with five out of every ten people in the Kingdom undergoing the procedure in their lives.

Quoting Dr Muhammed Abu Shwarib, an expert in hair transplantation from Banan Medical Center in Riyadh, Al-Hayat Arabic daily reported that young Saudis regularly visit clinics not only for head hair tranplants but for transplants to their chests and eyebrows. Others seek hair for the moustache and beard.

Hair transplants can be done quickly with few side effects.

Areas that have undergone transplantation may need to be bandaged overnight, but one can expect to return to normal activities within a day, Al-Hayat daily added.

Strenuous activities are to be avoided during the first few days after the surgery, as on rare occasions implants can be ejected from [sic] the scalp.

The rate of baldness in the Kingdom is higher than in Europe, something which attributed to the popularity of headwear such as baseball caps and the traditional Arab headdress, as well as the type of water used in washing. [Source: One India] UNI | Undated

Religious Freedom [in] Saudi Arabia?

Canadian Facing Beheading Pleads with Harper
GLOBE AND MAIL: MONTREAL — A Canadian man facing beheading in Saudi Arabia wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper detailing that he was tortured into confessing to a murder he says he did not commit.

In the one-page letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press, Mohamed Kohail implores Harper to use “every way possible to get me out of this situation.”

The letter, handed over to Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai when the latter visited him in a Jidda prison last December, discusses his deteriorating health and his two-year plight in jail.

“Mr. Harper, I have been in jail for two years now,” Mr. Kohail wrote. “I am imprisoned with hundreds (of) high-profile criminals in Saudi Arabia for a crime that I did not commit.”

Mr. Kohail, 24, and a Jordanian friend were convicted of murder after Munzer Al-Hiraki was killed in a January 2007 after-school brawl in Jidda which apparently started when Mr. Kohail's younger brother, Sultan, was accused of insulting a girl.

The brothers have repeatedly said they were acting in self-defence and were not involved in inflicting the fatal wounds during the fight, which involved dozens of teen boys

Mohamed Kohail was convicted of murder last year and ordered beheaded while Sultan, 18, was initially sentenced as an accessory to a year in jail and 200 lashes. The victim's family then appealed, resulting in a probable new trial for Sultan.

Both brothers and their friend have claimed their innocence and say the Saudi judicial system has not afforded them a fair trial.

“I want to come back to Canada to finish my degree — me and the rest of the family — and continue my life as a good citizen.” a desperate Mr. Kohail writes.

“I've lost my hair, two years of my life and see death coming to me closer every day,” he adds.

Mr. Kohail said he was only informed that Mr. Hiraki had died after he had signed the confession. That same confession was then used against him in the court proceedings.

“I was tortured to sign a confession,” Mr. Kohail said. >>> Sidhartha Banerjee | Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Chop Chop Square
THE WALRUS: Inside Saudi Arabia’s brutal justice system

A SLENDER SWORD — four feet of shining steel, curved at the end — hovers high above a kneeling figure shrouded in white. Only the kneeler’s neck is exposed. Sixty or so men watch from the edge of a granite courtyard, behind a patchy line of eight soldiers in tan uniforms. The man wielding the sword looms high, almost spectral, in a flowing white dishdasha and a red-checked headcloth. He is ready to swing but then steps back. He huddles with two police and the one person who can make this stop: the victim of the crime that’s being punished.

The huddle breaks, and the executioner retakes his position, left of the condemned. He sets his right leg forward and his left leg back, as if about to stretch his left calf. Sunlight flashes on the blade as he draws it above his head.

This is Saudi Arabia, one of the last places on earth where capital punishment is a public spectacle. Decapitation awaits murderers, but the death penalty also applies to many other crimes, such as armed robbery, rape, adultery, drug use and trafficking, and renouncing Islam. There’s a woman on death row now for witchcraft, and the charge is based partly on a man’s accusation that her spell made him impotent. Saudi Arabia executed some 1,750 convicts between 1985 and 2008, yet reliable information about the practice is scarce. In Riyadh, beheadings happen at 9 a.m. any given day of the week, and there is no advance notice. There is also no written penal code, so questions of illegality depend on the on-the-spot interpretations of police and judges.

What’s certain is that the Koran guides the justice system, with some laws passed to address areas the holy book does not. The Saudi interpretation of the Koran discourages all forms of evidence other than confessions and eyewitness accounts in capital trials, on the theory that doing otherwise would leave too much discretion to the judge. But at any time until the sword strikes, a victim’s family can pardon the condemned — usually for a cash settlement of at least two million riyals ($690,000 or so) from the convict or his family. >>> By Adam St. Patrick | Monday, May 18, 2009

Support The Walrus! from The Walrus Magazine on Vimeo.

Shelley Ambrose, Executive Director of the Walrus Foundation,
talks about how you can support The Walrus. Email Shelley for 
more details at shelley.ambrose@walrusmagazine.com

Saudi King Abdullah Calls for Dialogue Within Islam
ASHARQ ALAWSAT: Mina - The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz called for internal dialogue within Islam in a speech delivered Tuesday at the royal palace in Mina during the annual reception for leading Muslim dignitaries attending Hajj.

“Today we are in need of dialogue within the Muslim Ummah itself,” pointing out that “sedition, ignorance, and fanaticism constitute obstacles that are threatening the hopes of Muslims,” said King Abdullah.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdulaziz, stressed that terrorism, which is threatening the entire world, and which is being attributed to Muslims alone, “is caused by extremists who represent no one but themselves even if they put on an Islamic character. Islam is innocent of their acts.” He stressed that this is what makes internal dialogue within Islam necessary so as to achieve a unified stand, promote moderation, eliminate the causes of conflict, and stamp out extremism.

King Abdullah stressed that the goal of the call for interfaith dialogue, for which a conference was set up in Mecca and attended by Muslim scholars, is to further empower Islam and serve humanity. He said, “The fair reception and success the idea has enjoyed makes us more optimistic that its future march will be as successful, God willing.” >>> | December 10, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

OECD Report Attacks British Failure to Tackle Corporate Bribery and Corruption
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain's failure to tackle corporate bribery and corruption allegations was severely criticised in a report started after the Government blocked an investigation into a huge arms deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said it was "disappointed and seriously concerned about the UK's continued failure to address deficiencies in its laws on bribery of foreign public officials and on corporate liability for foreign bribery".

Compiled by the OECD's anti-corruption working group, the report said that British law makes it "very difficult for prosecutors to bring an effective case against a company for alleged bribery offences".

And the Government was slated for its failure to successfully prosecute a single firm for bribery, despite ratifying the body's anti-bribery convention 10 years ago.

The strength of criticism and lack of diplomatic language used in the report will be embarrassing for the Government, which in 2006 urged the Serious Fraud Office to drop an investigation into BAE's Al Yamamah contract with Saudi.

Earlier this year the Law Lords said the SFO was right to drop the investigation on national security grounds. BAE Systems has always denied any wrongdoing.

The OECD usually carries out reviews on members every two years, but decided to undertake an extra investigation of the UK's enforcement of the anti-bribery convention following the controversial BAE decision.

The body urged Britain to rapidly bring its legislation into line with its international obligations under the convention. >>> By Russell Hotten | October 17, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Saudi Arabia: Two More Filipinos Face Execution
INQUIRER.NET: MANILA, Philippines -- A day after an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was beheaded in Jeddah for killing a Saudi national, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said it is closely monitoring the capital case of two more OFWs that is now going through final court procedures.

In a press conference, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos said the case is one of 34 in varying court stages that the DFA is monitoring. He did not name the two OFWs or where they are.

"Since January 2006, the department under my watch has handled 64 probable death-row cases. Of the 64, 24 have been commuted. Of the remaining 40 cases, 34 are already filed in court and the rest are still in preliminary investigation stage," he said.

Since then, he said the other unsuccessful attempt to have a death sentence commuted was that of Reynaldo Cortez, who was executed June 2007.

At the same time, Conejos said the Philippine government has sent a note verbale to the Saudi government for the possible repatriation of the remains of Jenifer Bidoya, who was beheaded Tuesday afternoon. Saudi Arabia: Two More Filipinos Face Execution >>> By Veronica Uy | October 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Pat Condell: Why Are We Friends with Saudi Arabia?

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Hadeel Alhodaif, Leading Female Saudi Blogger, Dies Aged 25
“I would like to educate Saudi women about the importance of blogging as an efficient medium that can greatly influence public opinion” - the late Hadeel Alhodaif, Saudi blogger

TIMES ONLINE: The Saudi blogosphere is in mourning after the sudden death of a young female web-diarist and author who battled for a freer media in the restrictive kingdom.

Hadeel Alhodaif died last Friday after failing to emerge from a coma she fell unexpectedly into last month, just two days after her 25th birthday.

Her death made news in Saudi dailies today, while many distraught online admirers offered prayers for her soul and condolences to her family.

“Saudis from all ages and backgrounds – liberals and conservatives alike, those who knew her closely or from a distance, and even those who did not know her at all – are mourning the bright, skinny girl with high dreams and hopes of better future for all Saudis,” Arab News, an English-language Saudi daily, said today. Hadeel Alhodaif, leading female Saudi blogger, dies aged 25 >>> By Michael Theodoulou, Nicosia | May 19, 2008

Hadeel’s Blog: Heaven’s Steps

ARAB NEWS:
Leading Saudi Woman Blogger Alhodaif Passes Away at 25 >>> By Ebtihal Mubarak | May 19, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

”Let Them Eat Sand”
As I have been saying all along, the Saudis need us every bit as much as we need their oil. It’s high time to remind them of this fact. Remember this: Arabs respect strong people, not wimps. By behaving in a weak manner with Arabs, you get nowhere. They’ll walk all over you. Our political leaders do just that: Behave in a weak manner, and fawn. Quit it!- ©Mark

THE SHREWD ECONOMIST:
”Let Them Eat Sand” >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Saudi Cash for Islamic Propaganda Keeps on Rolling into the West!
THE AUSTRALIAN: THE revelations over the past week that Griffith University aggressively pursued funds from the Saudi Arabian embassy to finance its Islamic studies unit illustrates a major problem facing all liberal democracies confronted with the vast reservoir of petro-dollars controlled by the Saudi Government.

"Saudi Arabia today remains the location where more money is going to terrorism, to Sunni terror groups and to the Taliban than any other place in the world," according to testimony given by Stuart Levey, the head of the US Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, at a US congressional hearing on April 1, 2008. This money is channelled through complex networks of private, government and charitable organisations.

Saudi Arabia also funds the ideological war within global Islam in support of Wahhabism, the sectarian and fundamentalist form of Islam that serves as the Saudi state religion.

Although a minority tendency within Islam, Wahhabism's enormous financial muscle allows it to overwhelm traditional forms of Islam. This is especially the case among the Muslim diaspora in Western countries, where petrodollars fund the educational, social and cultural infrastructure used to promote Wahhabism and related forms of Islamic fundamentalism.

The funding available for these activities is stupendous. One investigation estimated that the Saudi Government and related organisations spent $70 billion between 1979 and 2003 on "international aid", with two-thirds of this being used to infiltrate institutions and promote Wahhabism, and anti-Western, anti-Israeli propaganda.

Another reliable estimate indicates that by 2005 the Saudis had spent some $90 billion to export Wahhabism globally, or twice the estimated rate of $1 billion per annum spent by the Soviet Union on propaganda during the Cold War.

This campaign of "petro-Islamism" has hit Western societies hard and most remain off balance. Britain "is in denial, having allowed the country to turn into a global hub of the Islamic jihad", Melanie Phillips observed in Londonistan. And British courts are being used to suppress details of the complex mechanisms utilised by Saudi interests to fund extremist groups, with at least two books falling victim to Saudi legal action.

In Australia, Wahhabi influence is also expanding. The estimated $120million spent by Saudi Arabia since the 1970s has funded mosques, schools, paid imams, sponsored Australian teachers and clerics to train in Saudi Arabia; financed youth groups and camps; and provided literature, overseas speakers, videos and other propaganda. One notorious video featured an Arabic song used by al-Qa'ida to promote jihad which contains the lines "with the swords we shall exterminate the infidels and death is the desire of the pure". In another infamous incident in 2007 a sheik gave a lecture on the Rulings on Performing Jihad, telling his students that it was permissible to kill children in battle.

Petro-Islamism is also having a big impact in the higher education sector. As Walid Phares, an expert on global terrorism remarks in The War of Ideas (2007), globally, "a wave of oil funding hit university after university, college after college, and research centre after research centre. The objectives were fully ideological: further the cause of Islam, support the Palestinian cause, and plant the seeds of the concept of an illegitimate West."

In Britain, a report by Brunel University's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies revealed that eight British universities, including Cambridge and Oxford, have accepted more than $491 million from Saudi and Muslim sources since 1995, mainly to fund Islamic study centres. Not surprisingly, the director-general of MI5 has warned that this funding had led to a "dangerous increase in the spread of extremism in leading university campuses".

In Australia, a Saudi plan for a $2.7 billion scholarship fund was revealed last year, apparently to facilitate the entry of Saudi university students into Australia in the face of restrictions on their entry into the US and Britain. Saudi cash seduction is Faustian pact >>> By Merv Bendle | April 29, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Australia)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback – Australia)

PBS Frontline: The House of Saud

PBS FRONTLINE: THE HOUSE OF SAUD 1 OF 6
Uploaded by Top-Notch112

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)