The flag of Saudi Arabia has the creed of Islam and a sword, which is neither a representation of Islam or human rights and secularism. For the Muslim Times’ Encyclopedic collection on Separation of Mosque-Church and State, click here.
Source: The Guardian
By Patrick Wintour and Rowena Mason
Foreign secretary, who has been accused of a series of diplomatic gaffes, breaks with convention by publicly criticising UK ally
Boris Johnson accused Saudi Arabia of abusing Islam and acting as a puppeteer in proxy wars throughout the Middle East, in remarks that flout a longstanding Foreign Office convention not to criticise the UK’s allies in public.
The foreign secretary told a conference in Rome last week that the behaviour of Saudi Arabia, and also Iran, was a tragedy, adding that there was an absence of visionary leadership in the region that was willing to reach out across the Sunni-Shia divide.
At the event, Johnson said: “There are politicians who are twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion in order to further their own political objectives. That’s one of the biggest political problems in the whole region. And the tragedy for me – and that’s why you have these proxy wars being fought the whole time in that area – is that there is not strong enough leadership in the countries themselves.”
Boris is well known as a baffoon, who often ‘puts his foot in it’. And, although in this instance his remarks may not have been as diplomatic as the situation would have demanded, he was, of course, correct. We have yet to hear about repercussions.
Boris is no baffoon. See the bigger picture. UK is re-asserting herself in the ME. Don’t forget that SA monarchy was brought about by the British. After WWII that region was taken over by the US. With Donald Trump coming to the White House and his declared position on the Muslim World, there is going to be a vacuum in the ME. First Brixit, UK positioned herself to be independent of EU, next step to woo SA and the ME rulers. The rest is just logical conclusion. Do not forget that UK ha sthe experience of more than a hundred years to interact with her ex-colonies, US, Russia and China lack that. Food for thought.