Prince Alaweed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, America's so-called friend, has unleashed on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for suggesting that the United States temporarily close its doors to Muslim immigrants. Bin Talal called Trump "a disgrace" and tweeted that he should drop out of the presidential race.
Trump responded by calling Prince Bin Talal "dopey."
Trump should have responded by questioning Bin Talal and Saudi Arabia's commitment to freedom of speech and women's rights. The Saudi prince should have been told to remove the plank from his own eye before pointing out the speck in Trump's.
While many Americans may disagree with Trump, the U.S. Constitution guarantees him the right to speak his mind. In Saudi Arabia, if you speak against the government or Mohammed, you're likely to be beheaded.
Yes, women were finally allowed to vote in Saudi Arabia this past weekend, but they still are not allowed to drive, and women accused of adultery are still stoned to death. One Saudi woman found guilty of murdering her 7-year-old daughter was recently beheaded in public. She was unlikely to have received a fair trial because under Saudi law (sharia) her husband's testimony was viewed more favorably than her own.
Many Middle Easterners have told me they believe Saudi Arabia has been assisting the Islamic State. While I have yet to see specific evidence of that, we do know that many Saudis--including Prince Bin Talal-- share the same ideology as ISIS.
Perhaps the prince should be asked if he supports stoning women accused of committing adultery, or beheading women after they are unfairly convicted of murder. He should also be asked if he agrees with the Islamic State's recent decision to murder Down's syndrome children as reported by the Daily Mail.
When our government embraces Saudi friends like this, it's no wonder America is mired in the quagmire of a Middle Eastern mess.