LETTER : Crime and punishment: Islamic law versus Western values
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.From Mr Richard Sockett
Sir: Your focus on the appalling violation of human rights under the Saudi judicial system, with its mockery of accepted legal norms, offers another shameful reminder of just how far Western governments can sacrifice moral scruples for economic greed.
Yet apart from the escalating numbers reported by Robert Fisk (9 October), none of this makes surprising reading if we consider successive Amnesty reports and, as you make clear, sources independent of our own government. But here, alas, is where your suggestions for a solution appear well-intentioned but vastly optimistic.
Your leading article, commendable in many respects, ultimately hinges on a principled view of Western motivation which at present is unlikely to be shared by the Foreign Office, less still by the regime in Riyadh. Privately, neither would be under any illusion about exactly why we dispatched 500,000 troops to defend Saudi "freedom", and any threat to abandon them to Saddam - together with their oilfields - would be laughed out of court, even under that judiciary. Worst of all, they'd be right.
Yours faithfully
Richard Sockett
London, N22
9 October
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments