Saudi Arabia Whitewashes Its Human Rights Abuses with Entertainment - HRW
3 Min Read
As Saudi Arabia attempts to cover up its crimes and human rights abuses, the Human Rights Watch has released a report exposing their billion-dollar plans to whitewash their crimes with entertainment.
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Saudi Arabia is paying billions to sweep its violations under the rug.
A report by the Human Rights Watch contends that Saudi Arabia is funneling billions of dollars into entertainment and events aimed at whitewashing its horrendous slate of human rights abuses, from torture reports, to murdering journalists, to executing dissidents.
Most recently, the Kingdom has been using the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and its corresponding entertainment performances by renowned artists like Justin Bieber and A$AP Rocky to polish its image in the international arena, diverting its controversial reputation to a more moderate one as planned by Mohammed bin Salman himself.
“The Saudi government is going all out to bury its egregious human rights abuses beneath public spectacles and sporting events,” said Michael Page, Deputy Middle East Director at HRW. “Unless they express concerns over Saudi Arabia’s serious abuses, Formula One and participating performers risk bolstering the Saudi government’s well-funded efforts to whitewash its image despite a significant increase in repression over the last few years.”
This is an intricate plan: With the Vision 2030 that MBS set for Saudi Arabia, in 2016, a General Entertainment Authority was created, and billions of dollars were used to invest in the local entertainment industry. Sixty-four billion dollars were planned to be invested in music, entertainment, sports, art, film, and more, complementing sports, tourism, and culture ministries.
In the 2021 Grand Prix set to take place between December 3 and 5, Saudi Arabia reels in Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, A$AP Rocky, and David Guetta.
Those who have already stamped their passports into the entertainment 'circus' are Enrique Iglesias, Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez, and David Guetta, in addition to major events like the Saudi Invitational Golf Tournament and WWE.
While forming new laws that cater to women's rights is good for PR, it does not make Saudi Arabia's aggression and human rights abuses in Yemen look subtle. Killing hundreds of thousands, schools, marketplaces, hospitals, homes, and infrastructure were all bombed and destroyed by the Saudi-led coalition.
Social media activists have recently pressured artists like Justin Bieber to avoid performing in the Kingdom, turning a blind eye to the human rights abuses. Previously, rapper Nicki Minaj and model Emily Ratajkowski, and WWE star John Cena have taken a stance and rejected participating in events in Saudi Arabia.
