10 Disturbing Similarities Between Saudi Arabia And Daesh

Published January 12th, 2016 - 07:19 GMT

One is a world power and a close ally of the United States. The other is a rogue extremist group that may be the worst thing since the Nazis. But beneath the surface, Saudi Arabia and the black-masked death cult Daesh aren’t all that different. Okay, Saudi Arabia -- we said it. Are you going to sue us now?

We're not the first to have made this comparison. Online, the idea that Saudi Arabia and Daesh are pretty similar went viral to the point where Saudi officials had to address it. In Feb. 2015, Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki told NBC News that Daesh’s choice to behead people was “arbitrary” while Saudi Arabia’s was “a decision made by a court." Al-Turki said that "ISIS has no legitimate way to decide to decide to kill people," adding that "the difference is clear." But is it?

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Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh govern their territory under Islamic sharia law, a brutal Islamic legal code written during the Middle Ages. Sharia law is based on the Koran and the Hadiths, or sayings, of the prophet Mohammad, and sets rules for everything from dress code to personal hygiene. (AFP)

In both KSA and Daesh’s “caliphate,” women are forced to cover themselves in public so that neither their hair or the outlines of their bodies can be seen. Both regimes employ religious police to patrol the streets and punish women who don’t comply. (AFP)

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh forbid women to drive. They are the only two governments in the world that impose such a restriction on women. (AFP)

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh inflict judicially-sanctioned corporal punishment on non-violent criminals, including beatings, whippings and even amputations. There are only a small handful of countries in the world that do this, including Singapore and Malaysia.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh employ stonings and beheadings as execution methods. Both regimes sometimes carry out these executions in public as a way of scaring people into obedience.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh persecute Shia Muslims. Saudi Arabia discriminates against its minority Shia population in myriad ways, and even executes Shia activists. Daesh has reportedly destroyed Shia mosques and executed Shia civilians and religious leaders in Iraq. (AFP)

In both Saudi Arabia and Daesh’s so-called “caliphate,” the sale or consumption of alcohol is illegal. Daesh sometimes sets fire to piles of confiscated liquor, while in KSA possession of alcohol can land you in jail -- and even Westerners are not immune from such punishment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh make the “crime” of homosexuality punishable by death. ISIS has reportedly beheaded or thrown gay men to their death from rooftops. While Saudi Arabia hasn’t executed anyone for being gay in at least a decade, it routinely arrests and imprisons homosexuals.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh impose severe restrictions on journalists. Daesh forbids objective reporting across the board, while Saudi Arabia bans reporting that contradicts Sharia law or slanders religious leaders.

Twist! Saudi Arabia also bears some striking similarities to Hasidic Judaism. Both KSA and some Hasidim forbid women to show their hair and the shape of their bodies. Both segregate the sexes in public (and some private) spaces. Both are opposed to the state of Israel. Like KSA, some Hasidim even forbid women to drive.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh govern their territory under Islamic sharia law, a brutal Islamic legal code written during the Middle Ages. Sharia law is based on the Koran and the Hadiths, or sayings, of the prophet Mohammad, and sets rules for everything from dress code to personal hygiene. (AFP)

In both KSA and Daesh’s “caliphate,” women are forced to cover themselves in public so that neither their hair or the outlines of their bodies can be seen. Both regimes employ religious police to patrol the streets and punish women who don’t comply. (AFP)

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh forbid women to drive. They are the only two governments in the world that impose such a restriction on women. (AFP)

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh inflict judicially-sanctioned corporal punishment on non-violent criminals, including beatings, whippings and even amputations. There are only a small handful of countries in the world that do this, including Singapore and Malaysia.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh employ stonings and beheadings as execution methods. Both regimes sometimes carry out these executions in public as a way of scaring people into obedience.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh persecute Shia Muslims. Saudi Arabia discriminates against its minority Shia population in myriad ways, and even executes Shia activists. Daesh has reportedly destroyed Shia mosques and executed Shia civilians and religious leaders in Iraq. (AFP)

In both Saudi Arabia and Daesh’s so-called “caliphate,” the sale or consumption of alcohol is illegal. Daesh sometimes sets fire to piles of confiscated liquor, while in KSA possession of alcohol can land you in jail -- and even Westerners are not immune from such punishment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh make the “crime” of homosexuality punishable by death. ISIS has reportedly beheaded or thrown gay men to their death from rooftops. While Saudi Arabia hasn’t executed anyone for being gay in at least a decade, it routinely arrests and imprisons homosexuals.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh impose severe restrictions on journalists. Daesh forbids objective reporting across the board, while Saudi Arabia bans reporting that contradicts Sharia law or slanders religious leaders.

Twist! Saudi Arabia also bears some striking similarities to Hasidic Judaism. Both KSA and some Hasidim forbid women to show their hair and the shape of their bodies. Both segregate the sexes in public (and some private) spaces. Both are opposed to the state of Israel. Like KSA, some Hasidim even forbid women to drive.

Tags:different.Okay Interior Ministry Mansour al-Turki

10 Disturbing Similarities Between Saudi Arabia And Daesh

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh govern their territory under Islamic sharia law, a brutal Islamic legal code written during the Middle Ages. Sharia law is based on the Koran and the Hadiths, or sayings, of the prophet Mohammad, and sets rules for everything from dress code to personal hygiene. (AFP)

In both KSA and Daesh’s “caliphate,” women are forced to cover themselves in public so that neither their hair or the outlines of their bodies can be seen. Both regimes employ religious police to patrol the streets and punish women who don’t comply. (AFP)

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh forbid women to drive. They are the only two governments in the world that impose such a restriction on women. (AFP)

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh inflict judicially-sanctioned corporal punishment on non-violent criminals, including beatings, whippings and even amputations. There are only a small handful of countries in the world that do this, including Singapore and Malaysia.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh employ stonings and beheadings as execution methods. Both regimes sometimes carry out these executions in public as a way of scaring people into obedience.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh persecute Shia Muslims. Saudi Arabia discriminates against its minority Shia population in myriad ways, and even executes Shia activists. Daesh has reportedly destroyed Shia mosques and executed Shia civilians and religious leaders in Iraq. (AFP)

In both Saudi Arabia and Daesh’s so-called “caliphate,” the sale or consumption of alcohol is illegal. Daesh sometimes sets fire to piles of confiscated liquor, while in KSA possession of alcohol can land you in jail -- and even Westerners are not immune from such punishment.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh make the “crime” of homosexuality punishable by death. ISIS has reportedly beheaded or thrown gay men to their death from rooftops. While Saudi Arabia hasn’t executed anyone for being gay in at least a decade, it routinely arrests and imprisons homosexuals.

Both Saudi Arabia and Daesh impose severe restrictions on journalists. Daesh forbids objective reporting across the board, while Saudi Arabia bans reporting that contradicts Sharia law or slanders religious leaders.

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