In recent months there has been increasing attention given to Saddam Hussein and the atrocities taking place in Iraq. It’s important to look not only at the conditions of human rights in our sworn enemy’s country, but also in our allies’. In most of our Middle Eastern allies, human rights are a joke. Conditions for citizens of Iraq are actually better than in some of our allies. On human rights violators, Syria is the least appalling. Political activists in this military regime-controlled country face only imprisonment. Democracy and free elections are stringently opposed.
Next on our list of friends is Jordan, where free speech is discouraged and “honor killings,” murder of a promiscuous sister or daughter to uphold family honor, are punished by light prison sentences.
Egypt is actually a republic that holds free elections. Aspiring candidates with ideas of reform are frequently jailed during elections, however. Freedom of speech and free assembly are restricted. Practice of homosexuality is often punished with years in prison. Torture is routinely used by authorities to obtain confessions and information.
Last on the list is arguably our closest ally, Saudi Arabia. Here human rights are the most abominable. This monarchy has no elected representation or political parties. Offenses punishable by death in Saudi Arabia include apostasy, or public conversion from Islam, and witchcraft.
There is no separation of church and state. Citizens are forced to adhere to Islamic religious doctrine. Women’s rights here are also the worst. A woman’s testimony in court equals half that of a man’s. Perhaps most appallingly, 14 schoolgirls in Mecca were recently denied exit from a burning building because they were not wearing appropriate dress and headgear.
Our strong friendship with Saudi Arabia is no doubt due in part to the fact that Saudi Arabia holds far more of the world’s oil reserves than any other country.
While the United States gains from its relationships with these countries, our image in the eyes of the world is soiled and our argument for human rights improvements is weakened.
Our government should devote as much time to improving human rights in our oil-rich allies as they do trying to squelch the possibility of an Iraqi military threat. Basic human rights violations could be avoided by replacing or reforming irresponsible governments.
Josh Foreman is a junior communication major.