Saudi Arabia to Quebec: Don’t Meddle

Saudi Arabia doesn’t like it when other countries object to their human rights violations. When Sweden’s Margo Wallstrom spoke out, they took action to silence her. Now, we learn that Saudi Arabia doesn’t mind sending letters to provincial governments as well!

Saudi Arabia seems to do a lot of sabre-rattling, which should be no surprise given that it seems to buy arms from just about anybody selling from Sweden, The UK, Germany, USA and Canada.  They have quite a few sabres to rattle.  But this bit of sabre-rattling, quoted by the CBC, should be studied and considered closely by Canadian secularists:

“The Kingdom does not accept at all any attack on it in the name of human rights, especially when its constitution is based on Islamic law, which guarantees human rights (sic),” the letter, dated March 10, reads.

Quebec, the only major legislative jurisdiction in North America to have considered a charter for secularism (that I’m aware of), receives a letter warning them to stop meddling and asserts that Islamic law is a guarantee of human rights!  Faithful to religion, criticisms of their government’s action is considered by them an “attack”.

Religious law and religious governments do not tolerate criticism.

Now where are the rest of Canada’s political leaders?  Will they step up to vehemently reject Saudi Arabia’s sabre-rattling of a Canadian government or will they turn to their energy and arms contracts ledgers and trade-mission calendars?  I think I could presume to draft their replies for them, “International affairs is not a provincial responsibility, it is the purview of the Federal Foreign Affairs Minister and I have no comment. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch my flight to sell this provinces wares.”

Canada can send a message to the world and exert diplomatic leadership with a simple step.  Drop the archaic blasphemous libel law in our Criminal Code and show that human rights cannot include blasphemy laws.