Shared values?

Apparently Kim Howells, a Foreign Office Minister, "told a conference ahead of a state visit by Saudi leader King Abdullah that the two states could unite around their "shared values"." Perhaps Mr Howells could explain what these "shared values" are. Is he thinking of public hanging, amputations of criminals limbs, the stoning to death of adulterers, the hanging of homosexuals, the flogging of people found guilty of being drunk, the ban on followers of a religion other than Islam of practising their religion, the ban on followers of another religion from wearing religious insignia (such as crosses or crucifixes). Perhaps Kim Howell could explain his thought process to us.

It appears that "at the opening of the Two Kingdoms Dialogue between the two countries, Mr Howells told the audience that both the UK and Saudi Arabia respected each other's religious and political traditions and have common reason to work together for increased security." So do we respect their religious traditions (see above) and their political tradition of no political parties and power being vested in the Royal Family and their associates. Perhaps Kim Howells likes the idea that "Saudi Arabia has no parliament, instead there is a national "Consultative Council" who are 150 Saudi citizens that are appointed by the king for a period of four years to serve as an advisory role. The size of the council has been increasing steadily over the years, and it does have its own committees and a limited ability to discuss proposed legislation, but its primary function is to advise the king." Maybe that is the direction that Citizens Juries are taking us in.

Shared values? Maybe shared with this government, certainly not with this blogger.