We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Islam believes in self-defence too

In Saudi Arabia the government’s response to attacks on foreign workers is to allow them to carry firearms. Any chance of that happening in London? I can get a foreign passport if necessary.

However, foreign contractors for the Saudi government will not be allowed to carry weapons because they are under the protection of the State. Good luck to them.

On balance, I think I would swap the British Home Secretary for his Saudi counterpart: less fascism, less victim disarmament, more effective law enforcement, and slightly less political correctness.

7 comments to Islam believes in self-defence too

  • Jacob

    Besides in Saudi Arabia you seldom know who’s who. Rumors say that some of the (7000) Princes contending for the throne, notably the one in charge of “homelnad security”, work hand in hand with the terrorists, against some other princes, and they don’t mind killing people (foreigners or locals) in their just and noble struggle for the oil revenue. Dindn’t you know it is all for ooooil !!!

    I wouldn’t want to live there even if I were alowed to carry arms.

  • Susan

    “Islam” does not believe in self-defense for non-Muslims; this is an expedient ploy by the Saudi government, not an “Islamic” move.

    Non-Muslims were barred from carrying arms in the days of the Islamic Empires, as well as from riding horses with saddles, which was a move to keep them from developing a cavalry.

    This link is to the Pact of Omar which became the standard surrender agreement for non-Muslim communities targeted by Jihad, and which also found its way into the sharia, to be preserved forevermore:

    Pact of Omar

    Notice the prohibition on carrying arms and riding with saddles for the conquered non-Muslim peoples.

  • Antoine Clarke

    Susan,
    Your point about Islamic law is taken. However, I note that self-defence is prohibited in the United Kingdom, despite our Bill of Rights which prohibits the disarmament of Protestants. Also it is not clear whether foreign Moslems could carry weapons in Saudi Arabia, so the law may have been more secular than the Pact of Omar.

    I seem to recall that Christian regimes burnt witches, imprisoned homosexuals, sometimes murdered Jews. Even in England at one time church attendance was compulsory.

    England has a nationalized church and blasphemy is still prosecutable. The rhetoric of the British state is Christian, but the practice is secular.

    Just as we should accept that there have been changes in the West (some of them for the best), we should not discount the possibility of improvement in Islamic states, regardless of the rhetoric.

    I would not expect a Saudi declaration that Islamic law has been dumped in a trashcan.

  • Interesting comment and link, Susan

  • Well at least Nu Labor hasn’t taken away our saddles yet,it can only be a matter of time.

  • I don’t think that the Saudi counterpart is barking mad either

  • ragheadwilly

    Editor’s note: Comment deleted.

    Yeah we hear you but sorry, looooooooong rambling screeds just lower the tone of the neighbourhood too much even if you heart is in the right place. Come back later when you are in the mood for some brevity.