Anyone even remotely familiar with Saudi Arabia knows the country to be a staunchly and awfully conservative Kingdom where a clerical elite negates every aspect of liberty they deem immoral.
A band of breaded religious fanatics - the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice - strictly enforces the clerical rules of which separation of sexes is atop the list. That is taken to the most extreme end. A Saudi woman gang raped by seven men was herself sentenced to jail and lashes because she had the temerity to be alone at the time with an ex-boyfriend. She was later pardoned by the King after an international outcry, but not before being sentenced to an even harsher punishment for have the gull to appeal.
The Path to Freedom
A widow in her 70s was not so lucky. Caught alone in the company of her nephew and his friend as they stopped by her home to deliver bread, she has suffered lashed at the hands of sadists and jail time. Such is the Kingdom of Horrors where public beheadings are a routine affair. Saudi Arabia beheads, on average, more than one person a week and often for “crimes” like adultery, drug use and premarital sex all the while the corrupt royals are regular clients in the brothels of London, drink endlessly and even use drugs.
C.I.A. record reveal that the late King Fahd [the most prior King] was a serial alcoholic and womanizer whose medical records cited several STDs.
It is not surprising that normal Saudis suffocating at the oppression and hypocrisy in the country, but unable to fly a private jet to Europe would seek any refugee even for just a moment.
The tiny island of Bahrain is that haven connected to the Saudi peninsula by an impressive bridge. Bahrain is not entirely liberal. Its own citizens themselves are often burdened by both laws restricting “improper behavior” and insults against the monarchy. But Bahrain is nearly universally lax toward foreigners.
Millions of people - a great deal of them European - visit this country for its nice beaches and very vibrant nightlife. It is here that Saudis escape to enjoy the vices banned in their country: alcohol, cinemas and even some literature. Saudis attend concerts, mix with the opposite sex and just have a nice break from the ultra-conservative rules of their nation.
Saudi women can also drive in Bahrain while listening to heavy metal music while the boys prefer rap. These vacations in Bahrain are a win-win for they aid the economy of the tiny Shiekhdom while giving Saudis a taste of freedom. They deserve it.
