For Shame, Saudi Arabia

Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt. Ambrose Bierce.

How’s this for a kick in the teeth of civilization?

Saudi Arabia was last month elected to chair a high-profile UN Human Rights Council panel that’s responsible for determining international human rights standards and reporting on violations around the world.

So what’s wrong with that? It’s old news anyway.

Saudi Arabia still routinely arrests, beheads, flogs, maims and imprisons human beings for simply expressing themselves freely. And they have this thing about women. Won’t even allow them to drive.

I’ve written previously about Raif Badawi who already received 50 of the 1000-lash sentence, and is still imprisoned for the ludicrous crime of expressing himself through writing. Now there is grave concern for 74-year old Karl Andree, a UK citizen who was arrested for having home-made wine in his possession. Karl has already completed a one year prison sentence and still has a 360-lash sentence hanging over his head.

These are but two examples of the many human rights violations this miserable desert kingdom has incurred. There will be many more. One has to wonder whether the UN thinks it’s more important to have Saudi oil, or human rights.

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch frames it perfectly:

Saudi Arabia has arguably the worst record in the world when it comes to religious freedom and women’s rights, and continues to imprison the innocent blogger Raif Badawi. This UN appointment is like making a pyromaniac into the town fire chief, and underscores the credibility deficit of a human rights council that already counts Russia, Cuba, China, Qatar and Venezuela among its elected members.

Update: More Shame

Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who is about 20 years old is still languishing in a Saudi prison and faces death by beheading. As if that’s not barbaric enough, the sentence includes him being crucified thereafter.

Ali was convicted for participating in the Arab Spring protests when he was still only 17 years old. I don’t know what’s worse – the sick judicial system that sentences a 17-year old kid to death by beheading, or the insane Sharia law that requires his dead body be tortured thereafter?

The abuse of artistic work for bigoted causes

While I strongly support freedom of expression, I won’t condone abusing someone or their work to further a cause or argument without their explicit consent. Further, it would be just plain dishonest to present the person or their work in a manner not congruent with their known beliefs. Yet, it happens all the time.

There were two incidences this week in the USA where music was abused by bigoted people to highlight their bigoted causes.

Frankie Sullivan, guitarist and songwriter had every right to be outraged when his song Eye of the Tiger written for Survivor was played at a sympathy rally supported by presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, when Kim Davis was released from a Kentucky jail. Kim, a born-again Christian, was tossed in jail by U.S. District Judge David Bunning for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Sullivan had previously filed suit against Republican candidate Newt Gingrich who had used the song during his campaign.

In the second incident, Donald Trump used R.E.M.’s song It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) at a Republican rally in the Capitol. Needless to say R.E.M. were not amused and released a statement on Facebook condemning the abuse of their music.

It is being reported on Salon that band member Mike Mills released a further statement from lead singer Michael Stipe which was much more explicit:

Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you–you sad, attention grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.

Neil Young and the Dropkick Murphys have also expressed anger over the use of their songs by Donald Trump.

Surely there are many artists whose outlook on life might lend itself to prejudice, who would not mind their songs being used by bigots like Trump and Davis? How hard can it be it be for bigots to find them?

Update: R.E.M. posted this to their Facebook page today, 11 September 2015. Political Campaigns and Music Licensing.

You’re Wrong by NOFX

I’ve been meaning to post this song for some time now, but I just don’t know what’s stopped me. Perhaps it had something to do with the explicit lyrics, especially the part referring to that religious right-wing bitch, Ann Coulter who believes that people are sinful and need to be redeemed, and she’s the self-appointed redeemer.

Anyway, my disgust with self-appointed redeemers is not the reason for finally posting this marvellous NOFX song. It has more to do with our government’s pig-headed intention, in the face of overwhelming opposition, to pass the Protection of Information Bill (POIB), which would effectively give them free rein to do pretty much whatever they pleased.

It’s not like they’re not doing that already; it’s just that this ridiculous Bill would not only legitimize their constant illegal actions, it would render any information pertaining to it, hidden from public view, under the guise of state secrecy. Listen out for the words that always puts a smile on my dial: And you’re wrong if you don’t question your government

You’re Wrong

You’re wrong about virtues of Christianity
And you’re wrong if you agree with Sean Hannity
If you think that pride is about nationality, you’re wrong

You’re wrong when you imprison people turning tricks
And you’re wrong about trickle down economics
If you think that punk rock doesn’t mix with politics, you’re wrong

You’re wrong for hating queers and eating steers
If you kill for the thrill of the hunt
You’re wrong ’bout wearing fur and not hating Ann Coulter
Cause she’s a cunted cunt

You’re wrong if you celebrate Columbus Day
And You’re wrong if you think there will be a Judgement Day
If you’re a charter member of the NRA, you’re wrong

You’re wrong if you support capital punishment
And you’re wrong if you don’t question your government
If you think her reproductive rights are inconsequent, you’re wrong

You’re wrong fighting Jihad, your blind faith in God
Your religions are all flawed,
You’re wrong about drug use, when it’s not abuse
I hope you never reproduce

You’re getting high on the downlow
A victim of Cointelpro
You’re wrong and will probably never know

Oh my followers, please protect me!!!

Oh, the sorry state of the supernatural world. Once again, the gods and prophets are begging for protection from their very own creation, not in person, but through their earthly clerical representatives and die-hard supporters.

The latest cry for protection against the creative minds of the supposedly created, emanated after a South African cartoonist caricatured the prophet of a certain religion as a patient of a psychologist, bemoaning the lack of humor evident in his followers. In keeping with the suppression of free thought and expression, I have carefully avoided mentioning the religion, the prophet and the cartoonist because certain religions would have us believe that such immense greatness cannot be described in mere words, let alone graphically.

The interesting thing about this latest pathetic attempt to stifle freedom of thought and expression is that the clerics of this particular religion lost the urgent interdict they brought against the Mail & Gaurdian newspaper, to prevent it from publishing the cartoon. The interesting part is not that the clerics lost the application in the High Court, but that the presiding judge was of the same religious persuasion as the applicants. It’s rather ironic that one of this particular god’s own, ruled against his prophet’s vanity.

It’s high time that religious zealots lightened up and realized that their gods and prophets are not immune to criticism. All-powerful, all-mighty deities and prophets should not have to rely on mere worship-fodder for protection. Those fabled lightning bolts from the sky must be put into operation immediately, to prevent the unnecessary carnage and collateral damage from man-made bombs and other weapons of destruction [used by the self-appointed protectors of the apparently impotent gods]. It is the divine thing to do.

The truth is, the gods and prophets do not need protection from the people; the people need protection from the gods and prophets, and the clerics…especially the clerics.