Saudi Arabia could condemn a human rights activist to death and only Canada will oppose it

The risk that a Shiite and a citizen of Saudi Arabia activists be condemned to death by his country, only to be a human rights activist, obliges to reconsider the issue of relations between Western and Saudi countries and supports Canada's position against Riyadh . The tension between the Canadian and Saudi government is still underway, after the Ottawa government expressed concern and regret against a campaign of arrests of Saudi human rights activists, carried out by the government of the new Saudi prince Salman Bin Mohamed. Between the two countries the situation is still stalled, after the expulsion of the Canadian ambassador and the suspension of flights of the Saudi airline to the North American country. It must be remembered that Canada is not joined by any Western country in this battle for rights and against the new course of the prince to the government. In fact, despite some concessions of façade, such as the right of women to drive cars, the situation of rights in the Saudi country has not changed and Arabia continues to be one of the most illiberal countries in the world, where no form is allowed of manifestation to achieve social conquests; indeed the prince, in spite of the young age of just thirty-two, continues to perpetrate the politch of the kingdom where every benefit must be perceived as a concession of the royal family. In this scenario, every activity in favor of human and civil rights is also violently opposed. The case of the woman, for whom the prosecutor's office, beyond the severity of the provision, also presents potential political complications, capable of also affecting the regional balance. The religious faith of the woman is in fact Shiite: in the Saudi country, majority Sunni, with the royal house that proclaims guardian of the holy places of Islam, the Shiites are a strongly discriminated minority in the treatment at work and access to the forms of welfare present in the country. Discrimination is due to religious reasons, which are strongly linked to political ones, to be framed in the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, even for religious supremacy within the Islamic faith. The facts for which the death sentence is requested, date back to 2011, when in conjunction with the Arab spring, the Shiites protested against discrimination by the Sunni majority; the human rights activist's blame was to document the violence with which the police force reprimanded. It is understood that the mere celebration of the trial will be a source of tension between Teheran and Riyadh, with the former already accusing the second for raids in Yemen, against Shiite fighters, who have produced many civilian casualties, including many children. But beyond the issues of international politics, the story shows how the position of Canada against Arabia is widely justified and raises disturbing questions about the behavior of Western states. If the US does not expect official trump positions, because the White House has strengthened ties with the Saudi monarchies, considering them fundamental in the regional chess against Teheran, the most surprising is the European position, which continues to remain silent in the comparisons of Arab behavior. Brussels should take every possible opportunity to diverge from an ambiguous position vis-à-vis infringements of rights to assert the importance of protection; this attitude should be discounted, however, probably due to oil and Saudi investment, the European Union leaves Canada in an isolated position. The question is not secondary, because the fears already described could be added to other political opportunities consisting of internal assessments, certainly insufficient to maintain the current attitude. This silence is a sign of the deterioration of European institutions, infected by populism and nationalism, which restrict the political view to mere national objectives, which do not allow to maintain and express due attention on the issues for which Europe should, instead distinguish itself and be at the forefront. This ever lower level increasingly disqualifies the European institution in those who have placed their trust in the Union, moving it away from its citizens and drawing closer to the divisive objectives of the populist and nationalist parties.