Saudi preacher gets fine & short jail term

[plwk]

Public anger has gripped Saudi Arabia after a prominent preacher who raped and beat to death his 5-year-old daughter was sentenced to a few months in jail and a $50,000 fine – known as 'blood money' – to compensate the victim's relatives. More here

[Dan74]

What a tragedy!

Poor little kid...

It does seem to be a broken society, a broken culture. A Bangladeshi friend of mind who spent some years in Saudi Arabia has horrible memories of the place.

I hope some momentum builds for the people who want to change their culture and system for the better to take this step. I also hope the US will stop propping up this horrible regime.

[tiltbillings]

I also hope the US will stop propping up this horrible regime.

Sadly, one has to consider what would take its place.

[shaunc]

How sad.

[poto]

I also hope the US will stop propping up this horrible regime.

It's not so much the US as it is their oil money that keeps them afloat. The shale gas boom here in the US has already cut our foreign oil dependency by quite a lot and that trend will continue. Unfortunately, China will no doubt be there to pick up the slack and keep the Saudis rolling, much like they are doing with Iran.

Eventually their oil will run out and their economy will collapse, as they have no real industry or other resources to fall back on. Only then I think will there be an opportunity for change. Still, that's likely some decades off and some of us may not live long enough to see it.

[robertk]

Most of the Saudi people I have met are very family oriented so not sure that this man is being held up in Saudi as an inspiration for society.