I have written several times about the relationship between Canada and Saudi Arabia since the Liberals came to power in 2015. Prime Minister Trudeau promised a commitment to human rights, world-wide, but was unwilling to cancel arms deals with a nation which oppresses its own citizens. This really matters to me as citizen of Canada whose Christian values includes human rights.
The feds have named concerns about injustices, including the imprisonment of dissidents, only to have the Saudis sever economic and diplomatic ties with Canada and demand that citizens studying here return home. Pundits figure the young Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Salman is attempting to demonstrate that he is no pushover. Some critics of the federal government claim that it has botched this diplomatic file and undermined our credibility.
Now the international community is responding to what appears to be the grisly murder of another dissident, Jamal Kashoggi, who was likely killed in Turkey by a Saudi hit squad. Turkey can hardly claim to have a healthy human rights record, but it is squawking (couldn't resist.) A number of countries and major companies may boycott an upcoming economic conference in Saudi Arabia.
While this murder is one more example of a brutal regime, it does not compare with the Saudis' aggression against Yemen which has resulted in upwards of ten million people being food insecure and possibly on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.
Relationships between nations are not always about the almighty dollar, despite the way the world seems to work. It's important for principled nations to speak truth to power, even when there are unpleasant outcomes. And people of faith should care about how their governments respond.
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