Saudi Blogger Raif Badawi, Punished for "Insulting Islam," May Have Received a Pardon

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2. "9 questions about Saudi Arabia you were too embarrassed to ask"

Good article about the tension in The Magic Kingdom between the ruling class and the diehard Wahhabi fundamentalists. Who need and feed off each other.

Which is why I'm not too hopeful at reading "A royal pardon is in the works..." King Salman will have to decide whether or not he can afford to piss off the religious royalty.

These cases usually come down on the side of sanity. I remember the case of a Filipino TCN (Third Country National = guest worker = slave) some years ago. He was a Xian who allegedly flouted Saudi law and tried to convert Muslims. He was convicted and sentenced to death. But in the end he was quietly deported back to the Philippines. That's what usually happens in high profile cases where the world is watching. So let's hope the same happens with Raif Badawi. Though he is a Saudi citizen, which may change things.

http://www.vox.com/2015/1/26/7877619/saudi-arabia-questions