Are the Saudis not interested in democracy?

[sandyRoe]

Why aren't the Saudi people demanding democracy in their country? I'm sure politicians in The West would do all they could to help

[Sqad]

sandy......LOL.....if there is any debauchery going......count me in.

[deggers316]

Why aren't the Saudi people demanding democracy in their country?.......
heads would roll literally, and many of them

[237SJ]

Have any of the rebels in these countries actually damanded "democracy"? Have they used that word (not questioning anyone, I just haven`t followed the news that closely). Just because democracy works for the west, it doesn`t mean it will work in the Middle East. There are so many factions and such a tribal mentality in some places that maybe democracy isn`t for them.

[Bobbisox]

Civil unrest is what will probaly happen in Libya 237SJ , as you say there are such a lot of tribal factions

[DTCwordfan]

The Saudis run a large monarchy - part of their 'democracy' that is not spoken about is for all leaders (inc those outside the royal family) to hold regular councils with their villagers/townsfolk who ever it may be............this tradition, that goes back to their Bedouin ancestry is very much part of the glue that holds Saudi together.....abuse that and then yes you have a bed for fervency.

[DTCwordfan]

Sqad is right about the Koran not banning alcohol - it does ban pork etc. Indeed the Koran refers to the streams of alcohol flowing in heaven (never knew Scotland was heaven......). More seriously, the reason that it is on the forbidden list (haram) is that one should not be intoxicated for prayers and with those five times a day, it means essentially absolution.

The relevant parts are
Verse 4:43, in which Muslims are told that they must not pray while intoxicated. The real meaning is that any person shouldnt be drunk when he is in contact with the others. Because the real meaning of praying is " contact between people and between them and God" . Then the same verse gives the reason and which is to have control on your contact and talking.

Verse – 2:219 – which says that in wine and gambling "is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit. Allah did not mention in that verse that alcohol is prohibited but it was an advice that " alkhamr" which exactly means to drink until you became anaesthetized can be dangerous. Also the same verse did not mention that its " Haram " which means prohibits, but it says that its better to stay away from to be drunk as anaesthetized .

Verse in 5:90-91, intoxicants and gambling are called "an abomination" and "Satan's handiwork": "Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?"

Hope this helps clear things up.......Sunnites (UAE majority tend to have a more liberal view of this than the stricter sects such as the Wahibis (Saudi) and, well known, the Shiites.

[DTCwordfan]

So it is an Imam imnstruction - not the Koran......

[Bobbisox]

you have done your homework there DT, well done, I am enlightened

[237SJ]

I`ve had alcohol in Saudi Arabia. Plenty of it too.

[Bobbisox]

would that be in a compound 237SJ

[237SJ]

I`d better not say bobbi. They gave us a bottle of their homebrew port to take back to our hotel where we consumed it with the boys as well. That`s two things we could have been shot for!

[Bobbisox]

ha-ha, I see, as long as you enjoyed it eh?

[237SJ]

We have to wear abayas when we go there and on that occasion it was great for hiding bottles under.

[Sqad]

237SJ......Me too....I operated on a child in Jeddah and the father invited all the theatre staff back to his villa for a thank you dinner.

It was lavish, the table set with a whole bottle of whisky each on the side of our plates and a whole chicken each. The family children served us and waited on us whilst the ladies looked on from the other room.

I could tell you other stories about Saudi Arabia including the antics of Saudi princesses.;-)

[Dris]

Interesting views from posters who have actually had personal experience..throws a different slant on it rather than it being media fed or hearsay.

[237SJ]

I`ve heard about the whisky. I`ve heard certain people can import it by the crate but there is always one bottle missing when it arrives which is taken by customs as a bribe. We had our booze up on the premises of a certain organisation that used to invite us there. They had a whole bar set up with homebrew. Of course I`m sure it doesn`t exist now (Just in case anyone`s watching).

[Sqad]

2367 Did the brew start with the letter S and end with the letter I ?

[237SJ]

I don`t know sqad. The beer was actually pumped to proper pumps as in a pub. I can`t remember about the port. We were too busy drinking it to look too closely. I remember we had a pool game and we thrashed them. As us girlies were in abayas we called ourselves The Allblacks.

[DTCwordfan]

The French imported their national product in the guise of the diplomatic bag, or rather container. On one occasion, the customs were suspicious of the contents but could not open it. So they had the container dropped three feet from the crane and this red grape juice appeared.

The last king's eldest brother was known as Custodian of the Two Holy pubs for his importing antics.