Saudi-Canadian row reveals much about approach to rights

Aug. 21, 2018
In the bizarre diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and Canada, a development scarcely reported reveals much.

In the bizarre diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and Canada, a development scarcely reported reveals much.

The spat began after a tweet by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland critical of the July 30 arrests in Saudi Arabia of two women’s rights activists. The Saudi government responded by recalling its ambassador in Canada, banishing the Canadian ambassador, suspending airline service to Canada, and telling Saudis studying in Canada to leave.

The Saudi foreign ministry blasted Freeland’s tweet as “not based in any accurate or true information,” saying it represented “a blatant interference in the kingdom’s domestic affairs, against basic international norms and all international protocols.”

Actually, the tweet seemed restrained. “Very alarmed,” Freeland wrote, adding her government would “continue to strongly call” for release of the arrested women.

But the message did rush to broad exposure over Twitter. Maybe that’s what irked the Saudis, who traditionally prefer secret argumentation. But who’s to say Freeland tried back channels and found they led nowhere? The arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah to which she responded weren’t the first.

Human Rights Watch said Saudi officials had arrested “more than a dozen activists” since May 15 in what the group called an “unprecedented government crackdown on the women’s rights movement.” Apparently, cultural reforms instigated by ambitious Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman—reforms that famously include inaugural permission of women to drive motor vehicles—have limits.

A diplomatic breakdown between two important oil exporters with hitherto genial relations is alarming, of course. Yet even more so should be the opportunistic side-picking of another important oil exporter craving influence in the Middle East.

While the US and UK, natural Canadian allies also friendly with Saudi Arabia, fled to middle ground in this kerfuffle, Russia backed Riyadh. Radio Free Europe reported a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman saying, “We have always said that the politicization of human rights matters is unacceptable.” The estrangement of human rights from politics here is fascinating.

Does it not ratify Freeland’s point?

(From the subscription area of www.ogj.com, posted Aug. 10, 2018)