So, I hate to say but the Arab News has stopped letting people link to their articles online - they must be losing money. In any case, I still get the print edition down in the dining hall fairly often, and today there were a couple of interesting articles. First off, I don't know if anybody noticed earlier this year, but the first women EVER were elected to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce this year. Quite a big deal here. But today I read that the same isn't going to be allowed in Mecca and Medina's Chamber of Commerce - the four women who tried to run were disqualified for not "fulfilling the requirements" whatever that means.
And, in another somewhat disturbing article, a man from Hail who has worked as a journalist for many years was arrested on suspicion of forsaking Islam, based on some comments he made on the internet four years ago. Apparently he was also threatened at the time and his car was vandalized. He filed a complaint with the police and they asked him to come in and clear up some things related to his complaint. When he went in, they arrested him.
Now, I don't know what he said online, so I can't say whether or not he has "forsaken Islam", but I have to say I'm disturbed by the idea that somebody can be persecuted for anything related to religious choice.
Of course, if you've got the right religion going, why would you want to let anybody pass up the chance to get to heaven?
Sigh. Religion is full of paradox. But Islam even says you shouldn't coerce people who don't want to join Islam, and you would have thought that should apply equally well to people who choose to leave Islam.
Anyway, those are my tidbits for the day. It's another slow Monday.
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