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December 20, 2006

UK: Airline Bans Bible To Appease Saudi Muslim Laws

Following on from the case of Nadia Eweida, an employee of British Airways, who was banned from wearing a small crucifix (even though BA allows Muslim hijabs and Sikh turbans) another British airline has proved itself to be more supportive of Islamism than Christianity, the national fait of Britain. A poll last year showed that 70% of people in the UK wanted Christian values to be upheld in Britain.

Not so for BMI (British Midland Airways) which is the only British airline to have flights to the Islamist kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Telegraph reports that a stewardess is taking BMI to an employment tribunal, because her employers forbid her from carrying her Bible on flights to Saudi Arabia.

BMI states for its part that it is only following advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which states: "The importation and use of narcotics, alcohol, pork products and religious books, apart from the Koran, and artefacts are forbidden."

BMI states that is complying with Saudi law. But is Saudi Arabia's Islamofascist prohibition of Christian artefacts legal? Saudi Arabia is certainly hypocritical - it funds building of mosques in Britain and the United States. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal promotes Islam in the West and last year he donated $20 million to found a center of "Muslim Christian understanding" at Georgetown University. He also gave the same figure to Harvard University to promote Islamic studies.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Saudi Arabia was one of eight nations which abstained from signing this declaration when it was accepted at the United Nations General Assembly of 1948.

Though not legally binding of itself, an announcement at the 1968 United Nations International Conference on Human Rights stated that the Declaration of Human Rights "constitutes an obligation for the members of the international community".

Saudi Arabia has been condemned by the United States under the terms of its International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom was founded as a result of this Act. In September of last year, Eritrea became the first nation to undergo US sanctions as a result of its religious intolerance. Saudi Arabia too was listed as a violator of the terms of the 1998 Act, but was allowed a waiver of 6 months by Condoleezza Rice, to allow the nation to move towards more freedom.

Obviously Saudi Arabia has made absolutely no attempts to become more tolerant of other faiths, and remains on a USCIRF watch list, with no punitive sanctions enforced against it.

The unnamed employee of BNI will probably have no rights to carry her Bible onto a plane bound for Saudi Arabia, but as demonstrated below, Saudi Arabia is allowed to do what it wants with Britain.

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Saudi Corruption Condoned by UK Government

British defense firm BAE has been involved in a $19.6 billion contract to produce 72 Typhoon fighters for the Saudi government. This contract is part of a package which began with Al Yamamah contract secured by Margaret Thatcher two decades ago.

However, for 3 years, 15 members of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have been investigating allegations that BAE officials had been involved in bribing the Saudis. This involved a "slush fund" of $110 million. The inquiry was halted by the SFO, acting on instruction from Tony Blair and the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith. On Thursday, Goldsmith had told Parliament that he had closed the inquiry after he "obtained the views of the Prime Minister and the Foreign and Defence Secretaries" on the effect that the investigation was having upon Anglo-Saudi relations.

The government appeared to be blackmailed by the Saudis, who threatened earlier this month that if the SFO did not drop its investigation within 10 days, the contract for the Typhoon jets would be scrapped.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal has dismissed the reports of the corruption as "baseless". He said: "Old stories are repeated now and then in order to create some kind of suspicion not only about the deal but also bilateral relations."

A legal challenge to the SFO decision is likely to be mounted, states the Times. The solicitors Leigh Day & Co have been instructed by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and The Corner House, a social justice group to initiate a case.

Blair is facing some tough questions on the dropping of the corruption inquiry. The Liberal Democrat party have said the issue risks Britain's international reputation. Professor Mark Pietch of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) claims to have concerns at the political interference in the decision.

The Independent on Sunday claims that police involved in the inquiry are saying that they were "bugged" as they made their investigations.

This case is just another example of how shabby Britain's moralists like Blair really are, when faced with the chance of bettering financial relationships with an ugly Islamofascist regime like Saudi Arabia.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 20, 2006 4:41 AM

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