Good news, the Saudis are hosting a meeting of a human rights commission.
No really. They are. Why are you laughing?
It’s the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, the OIC being the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. That’s the outfit that issued its own special “declaration of human rights” that added to every right the stipulation “as long as this complies with Islam” thus making nonsense of the whole idea. The meeting is in Jeddah, as is only right, because you can’t get much more Islamic than that, unless you hold it in Mecca, but then you might get trampled by people doing the haj.
The Fourth Session of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) will be held from 02 to 06 February 2014 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The inaugural session will be held in the afternoon of 02 February 2014, which will be addressed by the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation H.E Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani and Chairman of the OIC IPHRC Ambassador Muhammad Kawu Ibrahim. The meeting will be attended by all OIC Member and Observer States as well as Senior officials of the OIC General Secretariat and media.
In the week long Session, the Commission is expected to comprehensively discuss all issues on its agenda, including the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in OIC Member States. During the Session, the four working groups on Palestine; Islamophobia and Muslim minorities; Right to development; and Rights of Women and Children will also have detailed discussions on related aspects of their mandates.
The meeting is also expected to dwell on how the OIC IPHRC can network with Member States, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, and civil society for collectively promoting the universal human rights framework.
The Commission is the principal organ of the OIC in the domain of human rights. It consists of 18 Members, who serve in their personal capacity in supporting Member States for the promotion and protection of human rights for all in an independent manner, in accordance with the OIC Charter and its Statute.
In Saudi Arabia. That pillar of human rights.
No, this is not from the Onion.
Independent Human Rights and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the same sentence? What a fucking joke.
Saudi Arabia is a dying country. Qatar was smart and build gas terminals and made itself rich off the gas trade. But as the US fracks itself to death and once this gas hits the world market, prices will drop and both nations will be in a world of hurt. But at least Qatar has education for girls and women. Educating girls and women is pretty much a guarantee to not fall into extreme poverty. It’s been proven over and over again. Educating women equals not becoming a total shithole country.
What I don’t understand is how so many social conservatives don’t understand that investing in renewable energy is just about the perfect way to stick it to their hated Ay-rabs. Every kilowatt made here from renewables hurts them. Some communities get this. Roscoe, TX is the home of the largest wind project in the US. And New Caney has a near zero landfill waste disposal system. They impressed Wal Mart so much that Wally World built a close to zero landfill distribution plant there.
Wait, the place that decries women learning to drive cars is hosting a human rights meeting? This is not going to turn out well.
That makes the “declaration” a particularly unfunny joke.
@2 Francisco Bacopa
Hush … Ack, too late, they are already on to it (wiki):
“…special “declaration of human rights” that added to every right the stipulation “as long as this complies with [our very own deity-assured androgyny].”
Wherein we see the crux of what’s wrong with theocracies in general and revealed religions in particular.
I sense some misunderstanding here. It’s really quite simple. If you are a male Saudi then you are human and so have rights. Otherwise…well, you weren’t invited were you?