Editor,
The U.S. government does itself no favors when it supports tyrants overseas. Rather than droning on about how other nations, groups and individuals are “jealous of our freedoms,” we should learn a lesson from what is unfolding in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi ruling family has recently passed a death sentence on Shia Muslim preacher Nimr Baqir al-Nimr for the deadly crime of verbally and peacefully criticizing the ruling Saudi family. While it is no secret that Saudi Arabia is one of the main suppliers of oil to the United States, that does not change the fact that when the United States supports tyrants in violently suppressing freedom of speech, it only serves to undermine its own image in the Muslim world. Amnesty International says, “The death sentence against Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr is part of a campaign by the authorities in Saudi Arabia to crush all dissent, including those defending the rights of the Kingdom’s Shia Muslim community.” The old divide and conquer show is being replayed here and it seems that the ruling family of Saudi Arabia is hellbent on furthering Shia and Sunni civil war amongst Muslims.
The United States should find a moral backbone in this situation and not be so blinded by money and oil that it can’t call a wrong for what it is.
Muhajir Romero
