Saudi Arabia defends shariah law as complement to human rights

As Saudi Arabia is telling the UN Human Rights Council that shariah law complements human rights, it only allows the construction of mosques inside Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi blogger who converted to Christianity and who criticized shariah law is under arrest might face the death sentence.

Non-muslims are not allowed to go near Mecca, women are not allowed to drive, bringing in a bible into Saudi Arabia is a crime and the list goes on. AFP

GENEVA (AFP) — Saudi Arabia told the UN Human Rights Council on Friday that its status as an Islamic state should safeguard fundamental rights rather than fuel abuse, as it faced western calls for action to stop violations.

Zeid Al-Hussein, vice president of the country's three-year-old human rights commission, acknowledged there were violations in the country, often as a result of "individual practices" rooted in its tribal history.

But he insisted that Islamic law and practices should complement the legal standards the United Nations upholds.

"I wish to emphasize that -- and I weigh my words very carefully -- religious particularities, as correctly viewed in Islam, supplement rather than detract from international human rights standards," he told the Council.

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