Last week, I read an article about Raif Badawi, founder of the "Free Saudi Liberals" website, who was sentenced to fifty floggings every Friday until he had had 1,000 lashings, being imprisioned ten years for publishing insulting comments towards Islam. This article brings up issues of state soveriegnty in the ways that Saudi Arabian officials are deciding to handle his case and also in how other governments are reacting toward the decision. The proceedings are being monitered by Amnesty International and are facing criticism from the US and EU for being too violent a punishment. The Saudi officials have attempted to bring conservative Muslims together against Islamic extremists, but if they were to overturn this ruling, the government would be perceived as being leniant against those who insult Islam. After the Charlie Hebdo attacks, in combination with the Badawi case, according to Islamist activist Mohsen al-Awaji "conservatives were at risk of becoming sympathetic to militants" due to the Saudi government's respect to the West over the prophet. Saudi Arabia has recently toughened punishments for dissent, creating an even more complicated debate among Saudi nationals and Western powers.
Allie Grossmann
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