Burkas, Babes and Beautiful Morals

...Saudi burka babe w/Sarah Palin glasses

At Saudi Arabia's only beauty pageant, the judges don't care about a perfect figure or face. What they're looking for in the quest for "Miss Beautiful Morals" is the contestant who shows the most devotion and respect for her parents.
After the pageant opens Saturday, the nearly 200 contestants will spend the next 10 weeks attending classes and being quizzed on themes including "Discovering your inner strength," "The making of leaders" and "Mom, paradise is at your feet" _ a saying attributed to Islam's Prophet Muhammad to underline that respect for parents is among the faith's most important tenets.
Pageant hopefuls will also spend a day at a country house with their mothers, where they will be observed by female judges and graded on how they interact with their mothers, al-Mubarak said. Since the pageant is not televised and no men are involved, contestants can take off the veils and black figure-hiding abayas they always wear in public.
more HERE

Protocol & Political Positioning

The White House briefing room grew a bit chilly on Thursday after CNN reporter Dan Lothian asked press secretary Robert Gibbs to explain the current cause célèbre of the conservative movement: whether President Obama bowed down to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
Actually, the stunning twist of irony is that conservatives didn't make a peep about the proximity of the Bush family and King Abdullah for the past eight years but now, seemingly, are filled with outrage over a symbolic gesture of respect.
more HERE
Sean Hannity had a field day, stating that the gesture has made the world less safe and reminding his jaundiced listeners that many of the terrorists who have killed Americans in the last 20 years have ties to — now wait for it — Saudi Arabia.
Of course, he never mentioned the Bush Administration's relationship with the Saudi Royal familiy...questionable events that occurred directly after 9/11 and the billions of dollars of weapons sent to Saudi Arabia in 2008 and 2007
The National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Rob Jesmer even tried using the issue as a propaganda ploy posted on youtube as well as the NRSC website.

Very Superstitious

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Arabian government is facing an international outcry over the scheduled beheading of a convicted "witch."
Human Rights Watch issued a statement urging King Abdullah to stop the execution of Fawza Falih, a woman sentenced to death in 2006 for witchcraft and performing supernatural acts.
This is the archaic and superstitious monarchy that President George W. Bush has embraced and adorned with millions of dollars worth of weapons.
more HERE