(This may get transferred quick to GD, but I was hoping to get facts ;))
Basically, the author is stating that Saudi Arabia failed to prevent death of several hundred Muslims during Hajj in January, and was being brought to task for it by Muslim news stories, so in order to deflect critisizm, they published several inflammitory articles regarding the Danish comics, which had been printed several months before with barely a pip out of anyone at the time.
Is there any truth to this? Or am I just reading a blog of someone with a penchent for the conspirancy theory?
I am not sure you can get a GQ answer on this one without some sort of smoking gun proof the Saudis did this.
That said I think a strong case can be made that Arab and/or Muslim nations use anti-western sentiment to help prop up their own governments. Rather than the people getting all cranky at their leadership for their lousy lots in life leaders in the Arab/Muslim world point west and suggest the cause of all their woes lies over there. It works too and is a bucket they dip into again over and over. Whether the cartoon riots are a pre-planned case of that I cannot say. Wouldn’t really be shocking to find it was but then sometimes these things just offer themselves up on a silver platter and those in power will take advantage of them when the opportunities present themselves.
I suppose I should have been more specific in my questions? In other words: Did Saudi Arabian newspapers publish several articles critisizing the political cartoons shortly after several hundred pilgrams died in Mecca (and/or Muslim governments/newspapers began to make an outcry)? Instead of just “is this true?”.
If they did, I suppose it would be a GD subject as to whether such articles sparked the riots.
Nope, there is another thread from **DSaid ** here also with the objective to find who is fanning the flames or originated this:
My reply in the other thread reports who started complaining and it seems they added cartoons that were more offensive and NOT PUBLISHED IN DENMARK with the purpose to incite violence.