plightofthePalestiniansorevenreligiousbigotry–no,itranmuchdeeperthanthat.
Overtheyears,hehadlistenedtobothWashingtonandTelAvivand,unlikemostWesterners,he
believedwhatourpoliticalleaderstoldhim–theirobjectivewastobringdemocracytotheMiddle
East.AsadeeplydevoutMuslim,suchaprospectfilledhimwithanger.Beingwelleducated,atleast by local standards, he knew that one of the foundations of democracy was the separation between religion and the state. Yet, to many Muslims, the religion is the state. The last thing they want is to separateit.
Inhisopinion,theonlyreasonthatinfidelswouldadvocatesuchathingwouldbeinordertodivide and conquer, to hollow out the Arab world and destroy it, pursuing a campaign the Christians had begunwiththeFirstCrusadeathousandyearsagoandhadcontinuedeversince.
Itwouldbeeasytodismissthezoologistasanextremist,butinthetwilightworldofMiddleEast
politicshewasinthemoderatewingofSaudipublicopinion.Therewasonething,however,which
didsethimapartfromthemainstream:hisviewsontheroyalfamily.
There are many things you can’t do in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – preach about Christianity, attendamovie,driveacarifyou’reawoman,renounceyourfaith.Buttoweringabovethemallisa prohibition on criticizing the House of Saud, the ruling dynasty, made up of the king, two hundred powerfulprincesandtwentythousandfamilymembers.
Allthroughthatyear,JeddahwasawashwithwhispersthatthekinghadallowedAmericantroops, thesoldiersofanungodlycountry,intotheProphet’ssacredland.Equallydisturbingwasinformation filteringbackfromSaudidissidentsinEuropeaboutprominentprinceslosingfortunesinthecasinos ofMonteCarloandshoweringgoldwatchesonyoungwomenfrom‘modelling’agenciesin Paris.
LikeallSaudis,thezoologisthadalwaysknownaboutthegildedpalacesandprofligatelifestyleof theking,butbadtasteandextravagancearenot haram –forbidden–inIslam.Prostitution,gambling andalcoholcertainlyare.
Ofcourse,ifyouliveinSaudiArabiayoucanexpressyourdisgustaboutthepoliciesoftheking
andthebehaviourofhisfamily,youcancallitanoffenceagainstGodifyouwantandevenadvocate their forced removal. Just make sure you do it in the safety of your head. To speak to anyone who isn’t your wife or father about it, even in the most abstract fashion, is reckless. The Mabahith, the Saudi secret police – a law unto itself – and its network of informers hear everything, know everything.
Itwaslateonaspringdaywhenfourofitsagents,allwearingthewhitetunicscalledthobesandthe usualred-and-white-checkheaddress,visitedthezoologistatwork.Theyshowedtheiridentitycards andledhimoutofhisoffice,throughanareaoflaboratoriesandworkstationsandintothecarpark.
The twenty other people working in that section of the Red Sea Marine Biology department watchedthedoorslambehindhim,nobodysayingaword,notevenhisthreeclosestfriends–oneof
whomwasalmostcertainlytheinformer.
Wewillneverknowexactlywhatthezoologistwasaccusedof,orwhatdefenceheoffered,because
Saudijudicialproceedings, conductedinsecret, aren’tconcernedwith time-consumingnicetieslike witnesses,lawyers,juriesorevenevidence.
Thesystemreliesentirelyonsignedconfessionsobtainedbythepolice.It’sstrangehowmethods
oftortureareoneofthefewthingswhichcrossallracial,religiousandculturalboundaries–poor militia in Rwanda who worship ghosts use pretty much the same methods as rich Catholics supervisingstatesecurityinColombia.Asaresult,theMuslimcopswhotookthezoologistintoacell inaJeddahprisonhadnothingnewtooffer–justaheavy-dutytruckbatterywithspecialclipsforthe genitalsandnipples.
The first the zoologist’s family knew of the catastrophe engulfing them was when he failed to arrivehomefromwork.Aftereveningprayerstheymadeaseriesofphonecallstohiscolleagues,
whicheitherwentunansweredorweremetbycontrivedignorance–fromgrimexperience,people
knew that those listening in would target anyone trying to help a criminal’s family. Increasingly desperate,thezoologist’swifefinallyagreedtoherfourteen-year-oldsonheadingouttotrytofind him. She couldn’t do it
Overtheyears,hehadlistenedtobothWashingtonandTelAvivand,unlikemostWesterners,he
believedwhatourpoliticalleaderstoldhim–theirobjectivewastobringdemocracytotheMiddle
East.AsadeeplydevoutMuslim,suchaprospectfilledhimwithanger.Beingwelleducated,atleast by local standards, he knew that one of the foundations of democracy was the separation between religion and the state. Yet, to many Muslims, the religion is the state. The last thing they want is to separateit.
Inhisopinion,theonlyreasonthatinfidelswouldadvocatesuchathingwouldbeinordertodivide and conquer, to hollow out the Arab world and destroy it, pursuing a campaign the Christians had begunwiththeFirstCrusadeathousandyearsagoandhadcontinuedeversince.
Itwouldbeeasytodismissthezoologistasanextremist,butinthetwilightworldofMiddleEast
politicshewasinthemoderatewingofSaudipublicopinion.Therewasonething,however,which
didsethimapartfromthemainstream:hisviewsontheroyalfamily.
There are many things you can’t do in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – preach about Christianity, attendamovie,driveacarifyou’reawoman,renounceyourfaith.Buttoweringabovethemallisa prohibition on criticizing the House of Saud, the ruling dynasty, made up of the king, two hundred powerfulprincesandtwentythousandfamilymembers.
Allthroughthatyear,JeddahwasawashwithwhispersthatthekinghadallowedAmericantroops, thesoldiersofanungodlycountry,intotheProphet’ssacredland.Equallydisturbingwasinformation filteringbackfromSaudidissidentsinEuropeaboutprominentprinceslosingfortunesinthecasinos ofMonteCarloandshoweringgoldwatchesonyoungwomenfrom‘modelling’agenciesin Paris.
LikeallSaudis,thezoologisthadalwaysknownaboutthegildedpalacesandprofligatelifestyleof theking,butbadtasteandextravagancearenot haram –forbidden–inIslam.Prostitution,gambling andalcoholcertainlyare.
Ofcourse,ifyouliveinSaudiArabiayoucanexpressyourdisgustaboutthepoliciesoftheking
andthebehaviourofhisfamily,youcancallitanoffenceagainstGodifyouwantandevenadvocate their forced removal. Just make sure you do it in the safety of your head. To speak to anyone who isn’t your wife or father about it, even in the most abstract fashion, is reckless. The Mabahith, the Saudi secret police – a law unto itself – and its network of informers hear everything, know everything.
Itwaslateonaspringdaywhenfourofitsagents,allwearingthewhitetunicscalledthobesandthe usualred-and-white-checkheaddress,visitedthezoologistatwork.Theyshowedtheiridentitycards andledhimoutofhisoffice,throughanareaoflaboratoriesandworkstationsandintothecarpark.
The twenty other people working in that section of the Red Sea Marine Biology department watchedthedoorslambehindhim,nobodysayingaword,notevenhisthreeclosestfriends–oneof
whomwasalmostcertainlytheinformer.
Wewillneverknowexactlywhatthezoologistwasaccusedof,orwhatdefenceheoffered,because
Saudijudicialproceedings, conductedinsecret, aren’tconcernedwith time-consumingnicetieslike witnesses,lawyers,juriesorevenevidence.
Thesystemreliesentirelyonsignedconfessionsobtainedbythepolice.It’sstrangehowmethods
oftortureareoneofthefewthingswhichcrossallracial,religiousandculturalboundaries–poor militia in Rwanda who worship ghosts use pretty much the same methods as rich Catholics supervisingstatesecurityinColombia.Asaresult,theMuslimcopswhotookthezoologistintoacell inaJeddahprisonhadnothingnewtooffer–justaheavy-dutytruckbatterywithspecialclipsforthe genitalsandnipples.
The first the zoologist’s family knew of the catastrophe engulfing them was when he failed to arrivehomefromwork.Aftereveningprayerstheymadeaseriesofphonecallstohiscolleagues,
whicheitherwentunansweredorweremetbycontrivedignorance–fromgrimexperience,people
knew that those listening in would target anyone trying to help a criminal’s family. Increasingly desperate,thezoologist’swifefinallyagreedtoherfourteen-year-oldsonheadingouttotrytofind him. She couldn’t do it
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