Saudi citizens have taken to social media in anger after a prominent doctor said in a televised interview that ninety-two percent of Saudi women had watched online pornography.
The Saudi Society for Infectious Diseases Director, Dr. Nizar Bahberi, gained a mass following during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has over 230,000 followers. In an interview on the Rotana Gulf channel, Dr. Bahberi was lamenting over access to pornography, which he claims is freely aired on satellite television.
The Gulf countries are known for censoring many movies and TV shows in the past. Their new decision may not come as a shock to many. The Arab countries have now demanded the immensely popular streaming site Netflix remove "offensive content," citing material that "violates Islamic and societal values and principles."
A Saudi Arabian driver was arrested after helping a journalist from non-Muslim origins sneak into the sacred city of Mecca. An online outrage ensued against the journalist currently working for an Israeli News Channel. The Twitter hashtag “A Jew in Mecca’s Grand Mosque” trended as the video gained views.
Officials in Saudi Arabia seized toys and clothing in the "colors of homosexuality" from stores in Riyadh earlier this week. According to the authorities, rainbow-colored objects refer to the LGBT+ flag that encourages homosexuality amongst children, which is contrary to "the Islamic faith."
The Saudi Diaspora Association, a movement that advocates for freedom, justice, liberty, and equality in Saudi Arabia, is organizing an international organization in Saudi Arabian embassies.
Called the Suhail Pride 2022, the event calls for the immediate release of Suhail Alyahya, imprisoned in Saudi for being gay in a Muslim-majority country. The event is also a show of solidarity for the members of the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, March 12, the Saudi Arabia court confirmed the 10-year travel ban for the human rights activist and blogger Raif Badawi. The ban will effectively imprison Badawi in the country for another ten years.
Released on Friday, March 11, Badawi was arrested in 2012 and jailed for ten years for charges of "insulting Islam."
On Saturday, March 12, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men, including Yemeni, Syrian, and Saudi nationals. According to SPA (Saudi Press Agency), a state-run media, the men were found guilty on the charges of terrorism and holding “deviant beliefs.”
Raif Badawi, a prominent Saudi blogger and human rights advocate, arrested in 2012, is finally free after ten years in prison. Ensaf Haidar, Badawi's wife, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that her husband called her about his release.
"Raif called me. He is free," she said. Haidar is living in Quebec, Canada, along with their three children.
