Saudi King Condemns Protesters in Egypt and Freedom of Expression

Opposition to Populist Will

In comments made by the Saudi King, the Saudi Arabian government has strongly condemned the Egypt protests and expressed solidarity. Abdullah confirmed that he had been in contact with Mubarak and “was reassured [in a CNN report] about the situation in Egypt.

The king proclaimed that “Egypt is a country of Arabism and Islam”, ineffable words from a near absolute monarch who has imposed severe restrictions on the freedom of speech, expression and religion in Saudi Arabia, almost effectively equating Islam and Arabism with indisputable autocratic rule, which the Egyptian people have tried desperately to reform through protest. The king deemed those who provoked the protests as infiltrators who wished to only destabilize security and stability by exploiting to spew out hatred, in forms of destruction, intimidation, burning, looting and inciting a malicious sedition.

“No Arab and Muslim human being can bear that some infiltrators, in the name of freedom of expression, have infiltrated into the brotherly people of Egypt”





Reassurance of Stability

Words that don’t come as a shock from a nation that has turned its back to freedom of expression outside of Islam long ago. Elsewhere, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed his solidarity with the Egyptian president.

Political Opportunism

In Iran however, state Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast beseeched the Egyptian government to “listen to the foci of their Muslim people, and respond to their rightful demands” as well as to

“refrain from using violence against and Islamic wave of awareness that has spread through the country in form of a popular movement”.

A paradoxical choice of words considering Iran’s history with human rights abuses, especially in light of the 2009-2010 Iran election protests. Although morally, Shiite dominated Iran’s statements detract from their usual domestic position, politically it is a way for them to gain influence in a region dominated Sunni Saudi Arabia and take advantage of the populist fervor in Egypt.

-Konstantin Ravvin