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UP FRONT Monday 22 May 2017

Trump lavishes praise on Saudis,

but silent on human rights

JULIE PACE human rights records. But women Sunday morning,
VIVIAN SALAMA in their own ways, former telling the participants that
Associated Press Presidents Barack Obama in every country, “women
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) and George W. Bush each and girls continue to face
— As President Donald vouched for American val- unique systematic, insti-
Trump opened his keynote ues in their dealings with tutional, cultural barriers,
address in Saudi Arabia, those nations, including the which hinder us from fully
he lavished praise on the kingdom. engaging in and achieving White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, left, and first Lady Me-
“magnificent” kingdom During a 2014 trip to Ri- true parody of opportunity lania Trump wait for President Donald Trump to deliver a speech
and “the grandeur of this yadh, Obama met with a within our communities.” to the Arab Islamic American Summit, at the King Abdulaziz
remarkable place.” Saudi woman who spread “Each of you know this to Conference Center, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Riyadh, Saudi
Then he made clear there awareness of domestic vio- be true,” she said.q Arabia.
would be no public lec- lence in her country and Associated Press
ture from America on Saudi presented her with the
Arabia’s abysmal human State Department’s Inter-
rights record. national Women of Cour-
“We are not here to tell age award. His opening
other people how to live, address to the Muslim world
what to do, who to be, or in 2009 also made numer-
how to worship,” Trump de- ous references to democ-
clared Sunday. racy and human rights.
Trump’s willingness to set Human rights were a regu-
aside human rights as a lar part of the dialogue with
principal foreign policy the Saudis under the Bush
has been one constant in administration. In 2004, the
his chaotic administration. State Department listed
Yet the absence of any the kingdom as “a country
public reference to the the of particular concern” in its
kingdom’s treatment of annual report on Interna-
women and political op- tional Religious Freedom.
ponents during his two-day Saudi Arabia adheres to
visit was still jarring, particu- an ultraconservative inter-
larly when contrasted with pretation of Islamic Shariah
his affectionate embrace law where unrelated men
of the royal family. and women are segregat-
The closest Trump came ed in most public places.
to acknowledging the hu- Women are banned from
man rights situation was a driving, although rights
call for the region’s leaders advocates have cam-
to stand together against paigned to lift that ban.
“the oppression of wom- Guardianship laws also re-
en.” A White House official quire a male relative’s con-
later said the president sent before a woman can
did raise women’s rights in obtain a passport, travel or
his private meetings with marry.
Saudi officials, and noted Often that relative is a fa-
that administration officials ther or husband, but in the
broached the topic in their absence of both can be
talks in the lead-up to the the woman’s own son.
trip. The official insisted on Saudi Arabia also routine-
anonymity in order to dis- ly carries out executions
cuss the private meetings. by beheading, including
To be sure, Trump’s prede- some in public.
cessors have also forged Ivanka Trump, the presi-
close ties with Saudi Arabia, dent’s daughter and senior
an important U.S. partner in adviser, was more direct
the Middle East, and other during an entrepreneur-
nations with questionable ship roundtable with Saudi