# Is Saudi Arabia behind the "Cartoon Riots"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 7, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335 "2006-02-07T02:38:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335/1 "2006-02-07T02:38:51Z")
(This may get transferred quick to GD, but I was hoping to get facts ;)) > **[Muslim Cartoon Controversy: What the Media Isn't Telling You](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2006/2/5/184664/-)** > > I had a friend over today who lives out of town and we switched on the traditional news media television and saw what most of you have probably seen - angry rioters protesting, burning flags and at... Basically, the author is stating that Saudi Arabia failed to prevent death of several hundred Muslims during [Hajj](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335/2 "2006-02-07T02:49:17Z")
Was that quick enough? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335/3 "2006-02-07T02:51:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335/4 "2006-02-07T03:03:24Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I am not sure you can get a GQ answer on this one without some sort of smoking gun proof the Saudis did this. 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. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335/5 "2006-02-07T03:20:18Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Was that quick enough? Nope, there is another thread from \*\*DSaid \*\* here also with the objective to find who is fanning the flames or originated this: > **[Another cartoon thread! Who is fanning the fire and why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357613)** > > Google news is a wonderful thing. It pops up all kinds of interesting perspectives, such as this Russian news analysis that answers that Iran is instigating this conflagration now, months after the offensive cartoons were published, to \[ul\] ... 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. [http://www.eurotrib.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2006/2/5/7431/74233](http://www.eurotrib.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2006/2/5/7431/74233) Careful: some of the linked cartoons in the blog are not safe for work. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saudi-arabia-behind-the-cartoon-riots/343335/6 "2006-02-07T03:46:50Z")
Since **GIGObuster** has been alert enough to tell us about a prior thread, I’ll close this one and direct people to that thread. **samclem**