Given how the world works, I find it hard to believe that Canada is taking a principled stand on human rights in Saudi Arabia. Western democracies certainly try to own the rhetoric when it comes to democracy, peace, and freedom – but their realpolitik is quite similar to the nations they routinely criticize for being autocratic dictatorships that are terrible to their people.
My skepticism aside, this is the tweet that started the diplomatic furor between Saudi Arabia and Canada:
Well, the powers that be in Saudi Arabia didn’t like that one bit:
“We consider the Canadian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours,” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.
“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs,” it said.
“Saudi state television later reported that the Education Ministry was coming up with an “urgent plan” to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries.”
“Saudi Arabia said it is also freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada and “reserves its right to take further action.” Saudi Arabia is one of Canada’s largest export markets in the region, and some 10 per cent of Canadian crude oil imports come from Saudi Arabia.”
“Of course the major worry for Canada will now be the fate of a $15-billion contract for almost 1,000 light armoured vehicles between the Saudi government and London, Ont.’s General Dynamics. The controversial deal, struck in 2014 and approved in 2016, called for the vehicles to be delivered starting in 2017, but it’s not clear how many have already been sent as Ottawa refuses to release the “commercially confidential” information.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reportedly selling off its assets in Canada and will stop buying Canadian wheat and barley, in the latest escalation in the sudden diplomatic dispute between the two countries.”
“The national Saudi Arabian airline, Saudia, said this week that it would suspend all flights between the country and Canada, starting next week.”
I think I speak for many Canadian when I say. “WTF just happened here?”. The Saudi record on human rights isn’t a particularly deep dark secret and to call for a what seems to be a bit of leniency in one specific case doesn’t seem as beyond the pale as the Saudi’s seem to think it is.
Would Canada recall its ambassadors and impose sanctions if Norway made light of our decidedly horrible treatment of our First Nations people? I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t. Most likely some diplomatic hand-waves and some impassioned statements about how we’re working hard (we’re not) to improve the lives of all Canadians and then the issues would pass.
What is more intriguing is that despite the Saudi backlash, Canada’s government isn’t backing down:
“Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada isn’t backing down from its position that led to diplomatic sanction from Saudi Arabia.
Freeland made the comments Monday afternoon in Vancouver a day after Saudi Arabia announced it would cease new trade deals with Canada and expel the Canadian ambassador.
“I will say Canada is very comfortable with our position. We are always going to speak up for human rights; we’re always going to speak up for women’s rights; and that is not going to change,” she told a news conference.
“Canadians expect our foreign policy to be driven by and to embody Canadian values, and that is how we intend to continue our foreign policy.”
On Friday, Global Affairs Canada had tweeted, “Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists.”
This is post is just full of WTF’s. Freeland seems to be articulating a values based position on a foreign policy issue. It makes little sense has Saudi Arabia is clearly demonstrating their willingness to go full-trump and punish Canada economically for having the ‘bombast’ to ask them to release a blogger they have detained and are torturing (sorry folks, flogging is torture any way you want to slice it.)
It’s sad that I’m feeling so cynical about this particular story, and continue to look for the angle that the Canadian government is not sharing with the press. Like, since when do nations actually take ethical stands on any issue these days? It just isn’t good for business.
I’m going to continue to follow this story folks, because something just isn’t adding up.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
4 comments
August 14, 2018 at 8:25 pm
Bill Malcolm
What doesn’t add up is that Saudi Arabia is still in the middle ages and does not respect women whatsoever, at all. The current dingbat clown prince basically locked up the rest of his family and took over as leader, then tried to make out he was a modern man by allowing women to drive and learning how to twitter.
Freeland effectively told Salman off. In that Saudi society, public “advice” from women is not allowed. Simple as that. Beating those medieval-minded people over the head with a cudgel isn’t going to make them change their minds on that score. Being lectured to by a woman Salman regards as an insult.
It’s one thing to strive for a small bit of enlightenment in the West regarding feminism, quite another to get a completely paternalistic society to acknowledge anything of the kind. Sad but true. Talk to anyone who has had the misfortune to put in time at Aramco, the oil company, living in a compound to isolate them from Saudi society. The place is a backwards dump societally with too much money.
We can all stand on our high horses here and say that Freeland should be respected as a senior Canadian government minister no matter what. But you’re not dealing with a foreign leader who respects women in any way, period. You’d have thought Global Affairs would have briefed Freeland on such matters, but apparently not. Women can rise in rage against such backward behaviour in Saudi Arabia, but righteous rage won’t sway them.
Simple as that, I’m afraid. No point beating about the bush when the truth stares one in the face. Saudi Arabia is misogyny central.
LikeLike
August 15, 2018 at 2:20 pm
bleatmop
I agree with something not adding up. It’s not the Saudi’s reaction in my opinion though. Poking a giant manchild leader like the Saudi prince in a public manner like this is of course going to get a reaction. While the overreaction is extreme what I don’t get is why we provoked it. Canada certainly hasn’t been concerned about historical Saudi human rights violations. Nor has this particular government cared about the Saudis carrying out a near genocidal war on the people of Yemen. Hell, Trudeau armed the Saudis with weapons designed to do just that.
So if Canada hasn’t traditionally nor contemporaneously given two shits of care about the Saudi’s barbarism then why are they now provoking this retaliation? To use the Roman adage – Cui bono? Who benefits? It’s tough to say but I do find it interesting that I was just commenting the hour before this message broke that I thought the Liberal government’s chosen reaction to the illegal border crossings was the hill that they were going to die on in the next election. Now the 24 hour news cycle has seemingly forgotten about that story, for now, in favour of this new and sexy story. All for the cost of almost nothing. Saudi oil is still flowing to our ports. Any trade sanctions have little to no effect on our economy. Once could say if this was done on purpose to divert attention from news that was damaging the government to news that bolstered support around them that it was a low risk high reward type of maneuver.
But maybe I’m just being cynical.
LikeLiked by 1 person
August 18, 2018 at 7:48 am
The Arbourist
@ Bill Malcolm
Thanks for taking the time to comment Bill. I’d have to agree with most of what you’ve said here. It would be nice if people would start treating women as full human beings, second class status is quite tiresome. :/
LikeLike
August 18, 2018 at 7:56 am
The Arbourist
@bleatmop
Your postulation is giving a fair deal of credit to our government in terms of spin management. I’ve never seen that level of competency displayed by any level of Canadian government. It may be just my perception though, as I’m quite used to our provincial conservative party regularly self immolate in category 10 bozo-eruptions – on a fairly regular schedule (not that MAGA types care about actual policy here in Alberta, they would elect a dumpster fire as long as it was preaching against the ‘evils’ of socialism.).
LikeLike