Quote
Saudi Arabia has imprisoned two activists for allegedly trying to help a woman leave her abusive husband. David Keyes on why the U.S. must
intervene to free them.
Last week two prominent Saudi women’s-rights activists, Wajeha al Huweidar and Fawzia Al-’Ayouni, were sentenced to 10 months in prison and a two-year travel ban for “corrupting” a Canadian woman and
allegedly trying to smuggle her out of Saudi Arabia. As one would expect
from a theocratic dictatorship, the charges were trumped up and the judicial process laughable. The real aim of the case was harassing two women's-rights activists into silence.
Shortly before her trial, Huweidar told me, “I’m naturally optimistic. I always look on the bright side. Otherwise I couldn't survive in Saudi Arabia. People live in fear here. They don't know when they will be attacked.” Her turn came a week ago as this pioneer, who was among the first women to defy the ban on driving in the kingdom, was
sentenced to prison. Her case is a bellwether to see if the West is at all serious about its human-rights rhetoric.
Saudi Arabia poses as a moderate government and stalwart ally of America, but in reality, it is an opponent of Western values, enemy of American ideals, and foe of human rights. The louder the Saudi regime
proclaims its commitment to enlightened principles, the more you know it is lying. A few examples
More
Main 
