Should a U.S. University Help the Saudi Kingdom Perfect its Police State?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy with very little respect for human rights. The kingdom considers “criminal” a whole host of acts that are protected by rights to freedom of speech, freedom of thought, rights to peacefully assemble, and rights to practice religion. For example the KSA levies severe punishment up to execution for the alleged crimes of “witchcraft”, “apostasy”, and “homosexual” acts. These are crimes only in the imagination of extreme bigots, but they are applied. For example Raif Badawi was sentenced to ten years in prison AND 1,000 lashes for running a blog. Shia Muslims in the kingdom face constant official bigotry and persecution for practicing Islam their way.
Last year the University of New Haven set up a BA program at the King Fahd Security College (KFSC) in Saudi Arabia. Experts from UNH’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences will advise their counterparts at KFSC. Inevitably techniques developed at UNH will be used to observe and apprehend Saudis who are merely exercising their human rights.
In September a letter signed by nearly 50 academics, writers and clerics was sent to the UNH administration asking that it end the program. No formal answer was received, but a press statement denied UNH coursework in Saudi Arabia involved security measures and claimed the UNH-KFSC “partnership enhances cross-cultural dialogue.”
Contact the president of UNH, Steven Kaplan, and call on him to shut down this program. His email is: SKaplan@newhaven.edu Contact Senator Chris Murphy info@ChrisMurphy.com(202) 224-4041 and call on him to investigate UNH collaboration with the Saudi regime.
There are other aspects to this. The Saudi kingdom carries out whipping, beheading and crucifixion for a host of crimes. So even if UNH is assisting in capturing people involved in grave crimes it becomes complicit in cruel punishments that have been rejected by almost all the countries of the world.
In addition the Saudi Kingdom has launched pitiless military action against neighboring Yemen. Over 10,000 are dead and this year a plague of cholera has wretchedly sickened hundreds of thousands. Inevitably Saudi military forces will benefit from techniques taught by UNH instructors. King Fahd Security College is not only a police, but also a military institution under the Saudi department of the interior. Learn more at SaudiUS.org.
Tell Your Member of Congress:
Support the Bill to End U.S. Support for the Saudi War on Yemen
This week the House will take up the Khanna-Massie bill that would use the War Powers Act to end U.S. support for the Saudi war on Yemen. It would and targeting help in bombing that appears to be indiscriminate and stop air refueling of the U.S.-made Saudi jets that deliver the bombs.
Reach your rep at (202) 224-3121. Urge support of the bill.
