Ɖ Gardịn vy on Sǎdi Arebia’z rpreśn: ɖ rībrandñ v Riad w’nt woś
(Transcription of an editorial published in the Observer on Thursday 25 August 2022)
Ɖ Lìdz stydnt Salma al-Śehab hz bn jeld fr 34 yirz ovr Twitr meṣjz. Guvnmnts n bizṇsz śd spīc p
Ʈrzde, 25 Ōġst 2022
Hostñ an Olimpics z ɖ “ultiṃt gol”, Sǎdi Arebia’z sportsministr hz cnfrmd. Prins Abḍlazīz bin Trci al-Fasl wz spīcñ az Ánṭni Jośua fòt Ycren’z Olexandr Ŭsic in Jedá on Súnde – n wn de aftr ɖ Ynîtd Neśnz hymn-rîts ofis dnǎnst ɖ 34-yir prizn sntns handd t Salma al-Śehab, a PhD stydnt at Lìdz Yṇvrṣti, fr śẹrñ Twitr meṣjz. It z rportidli ɖ longist noun sntns fr a wimin’z rîts acṭvist ɖr.
Ɖt ɖ heviweit tîtlfît oṿśadoud hr ces śd nt s’prîz s. Ɖ inṭnaśnl horr n condmneśn at Jamal Cśogi’z mrdr at ɖ Sǎdi consyḷt in Istanbŭl dd nt last loñ, dspt ɖ SIE cncludñ ɖt it wz ordrd bî Mohamed bin Salman; ɖ cuntri’z crǎnprins n de facto rūlr dnîz rsponsbiḷti. Jo Bîdn vaud t mc ɖ cuntri a “p’raia”. Bt last munʈ h bumt fists wɖ ɖ crǎnprins, fr miniml notisbl rtrn. Hymn-rîts grūps wornd ɖen ɖt ɖ mītñ wd imboldn ɖ reźīm.
Acordñ t Riad, iniṣ́tivz sć az ɖ ny LIV Siriz golftur, Olimpic planz n uɖr sportñindevrz r evidns v progres rɖr ɖn repyteśnlōnḍrñ. Bt ɖ crǎnprins’z ćenjz r Potemcin rform, oḟrñ a śîni ny siti n dans fstivlz in ples v besic rîts. Ẃn ɖ guvnmnt liftd ɖ drîvñban fr wimin, it arestd n jeld acṭvists hu hd cōld fr it. Ɖ mesij z clir: frīdm z at ɖ ẃim v ɖ reźīm. Ɖ prṣkśn v campenrz at hom n psyt v disidnts oṿsìz z wel-noun. Bt Mz Śehab wz nt a wel-noun disidnt, n nt ispeṣ́li vocl. Hr ces sīmz dzînd t śoc n ćil.
Ɖ Sǎdi naśnl n muɖr v tū yuñ sunz wz viẓtñ reḷtivz ẃn ś wz arestd last yir. Ś hz dscrîbd suḟrñ abys n haṛsmnt bhnd barz. Ś wz iniṣ́li jeld fr ʈri yirz, bt ɖ apilzcort ɖs munʈ impozd ɖ dṛcońn ny sntns n a 34-yir travlban t folo. Ɖ foṛn secṛtri, Liz Trus, śd śrli inṭvin in ɖ ces v a stydnt at a Britiś yṇvrṣti huz onli crîm z t vôs n śer l’jitiṃt vyz. Bt dspt plejñ t bild a “netwrc v liḅti”, Mz Trus cd nt nem a sngl tîm ɖt ś hd ćalinjd a Gulf stet abt hymn rîts ẃn qsćnd bî MPz in Jūn. Mr. Bîdn, hu s’pozidli “rsivd cmitmnts” ɖt ɖ cñdm hd tecn meźrz t privnt śocñ hymn-rîts abysz in fyćr, śd olso cōl fr Mz Śehab’z rlis.
Twitr, ẃć hz yt t coment on ɖ ces, śd ʈnc agn. Sǎdi Arebia hz tarġtd ɖ sośl-mīdia cumṗni’z yzrz, ẃl its soṿrin wlʈfund cntrolz an indirect stec in it. Wn v ɖ crǎnprins’z sīńr eidz stl hz a veṛfaid acǎnt dspt YS guvnmnt aḷgeśnz ɖt h orc̣stretd an ilīgl inḟltreśn v ɖ cumṗni ẃć léd anoniṃs yzrz t b îdnṭfaid n jeld. Bt mni mor bizṇsz, n ɖoz hu s’port ɖm, nīd t tec rsponsbiḷti tù. Ɖ staġrñ amǎnt ɖt ɖ cñdm hz invstd in turizm, sportñ n uɖr iniṣ́tivz z tsṭmnt t its wś t bai inṭnaśnl apruvl. W d nt nīd t grant it.
