Friday, June 05, 2009

Saudi Arabia - boldly marching back in time

Saudi Arabia is a country of 27 million inhabitants - and women are still banned from driving cars. What about their education system? Here is an article about Obama's recent visit to Saudi Arabia and one sentence caught my attention:
The Saudi kingdom prohibits the study of evolution, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Western music or Western philosophy in its universities, according to the U.S. State Department.
Now, this is impressive (note - this is at the university level!). I'm curious what they actually end up teaching? I'm quite sure, much of early Islamic philosophy will also be unacceptable to the Kingdom.

And just to underscore the Saudi refusal to enter the modern world, just a few days ago a man convicted of a double murder was (officially) beheaded by sword and then hung on a cross in a public square in downtown Riyadh. Hmm..."beheading" and "crucifixion". This is still the 21st century, right?? Just checking.

4 comments:

Don said...

I guess that leaves poetry, math, and recitation? Saudi reading, writing, and 'rithmetic?

Atif Khan said...

I would say that Saudia is a hub of extremism and fundamentalism. They are the major source and inspiration of such brutal laws being imposed by Taalibaan and militants in northern areas of Pakistan.

Anonymous said...
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Akbar Hussain said...

I think the better option was to scorch his skin with white phosphorus or perhaps let a dog gnaw his skin, or, perhaps blow up his entire house (with his family inside) with a predator drone. Man they really need to update themselves with the 21st century.

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