Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom & no such thing as publick liberty without freedom of speech, Benjamin Franklin, 1722. For TMT collection on Free Speech, click here
FP: Pope Francis has won praise around the world for advancing a more humble, tolerant version of Catholicism, but there’s one country that he evidently hasn’t won over. Saudi Arabia banned the August issue of theNational Geographic’s Arabic edition, whose cover featured Francis standing in the Sistine Chapel, due to what the magazine said were “cultural reasons.”
“Dear readers in Saudi Arabia, we apologize that you did not receive August’s magazine,” read a statement published on National Geographic’s Arabic-language Twitter account, from the editor-in-chief, Alsaad Omar al-Menhaly. “According to the distribution company, the magazine was refused entry for cultural reasons.”
The very act of putting the Vicar of Christ on a magazine cover could have been controversial enough for senior officials from a country where mosque and state are closely intertwined. But Saudi censors might have also seen dangerous implications for the Wahhabi state in how National Geographicframed its coverage, as the cover referred to Francis leading a “quiet revolution” to reform the Catholic Church.
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Mentally, physically and intellectually …etc Saudi Arabia is a prison. The Great Old Book of Hindustan Rig veda says “Let noble thoughts come to us from everysides”.
Such short sightedness will not take them anywhere. Saudi Arabia would not have needed the ban if it was a liberal democracy and tackled Christianity like the Muslim Times does.
BOTH POPE AND THE SAUDIS – ALL ARE EVIL, POLITICIANS WEARING MASK OF RELIGION FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH INTEREST,SO CALLED POPE WENT TO USA AND BLA BLA BLA BLA BUT DID NOT CONDEMN SAME SEX MARRIAGE THAT GOD CONDEMNED. SAUDIS LURED PEOPLE INTO USELES SACRIFICES, BELIEVING YOU CAN STONE THE DEVIL THAT U CAN NOT SEE-A SPIRIT-AND PEOPLE BELIEVE, WENT THERE WITH THEIR MONEY AND BOUGHT THEIR DEATH OR MAYBE DEVIL RESIDES IN SAUDI ARABIA. IT PAINS ME WHEN PEOPLE DESTROY DO TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND ALLOW MANIPULATION OF RELIGIOUS PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF GOD. NO ONE KNOWS THE MIND OF GOD-WHAT I KNOW IS THAT GOD IS LOVE AND WANT OF TO SHOW SELFLESS LOVE TO OTHERS. PASTORS AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS MUST STOP WHAT THEY DO. BRAINWASHING PEOPLE-SUBJECTING THEM TO FEAR OF UNKNOWN-WITH THEIR TEACHINGS-ENRICHING THEM SELVES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITH PEOPLES MONEY IN TITHES, PRAYERS, SERVICES, PRODUCTS, CHARITY DONATIONS, DIFFERENT KIND OF OFFERINGS. FOLKS, THAT IS NOT FROM GOD- BE KIND TO YOUR FELLOW BEINGS -THAT IS WHAT IS REQUIRED OF US TO DO.
CHRISTIANS AND MOSLEMS ARE TWO DIFFERENT POLITICAL OPPONENTS SEEKING FOR POWER LOOKING FOR THOSE TO DEVOUR
IF THE SAUDIS DOES NOT WANT ANY PUBLICATION OF POPES PICTURE, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT-IS POPE GOD OR DOES HE REPRESENT GOD ON EARTH? THIS DOES NOT MAKE THE MUSLIMS A BETTER PEOPLE I SAID ALL ARE EVIL INDIVIDUALLY-EVEN MUSLIMS ARE BETTER THAN THE ROMANS
Difficult for non-Saudis to understand their way of thinking …
I agree with Saudia. I have that issue of National Geographic and it is not more than a preaching message. Where is the Pop’s ‘ humble ‘ and ‘ tolerance’ towards what is done by Christian countries like US, GB, France towards Poor countries, towards stealing their wealth, draining their resources, occupying their lands, humilating their people
Who is stealing whose wealth? What is there to be stolen? If there was anything worth stealing, why would millions be fleeing to those who have ‘stolen their wealth’?
Ask your leaders where your so called wealth has gone to. Gambling, even though they claim the quran forbids it, prostitution, human trafficking, and the building of opulent palaces for harems of their women while their children are the worst types of profligates.
The custodians of your wealth are the ones stealing it.
Saudi Arabia is following a laid down tradition of intolerance even when they, like all hypocrites, shout from the mountain top that they believe in every form of freedom.