Saudi Official Calls On French President To Visit Kingdom Without Girlfriend (ROP Alert)

Herald Tribune ^ | January 7, 2008 | The Associated Press

[DogByte6RER]

Saudi official calls on French president to visit kingdom without girlfriend

Monday, January 7, 2008

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: A senior Saudi official called on French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday to respect Saudi Arabia's conservative Islamic culture by visiting the country later this month without his former supermodel girlfriend.

Sarkozy, who divorced his wife Cecilia in October, has flaunted his relationship with Carla Bruni on recent holidays in Egypt and Jordan, drawing criticism that he is being too loose with the presidential image.

The Saudi diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Sarkozy should leave Carla Bruni behind for "religious reasons" when he visits the kingdom on Jan. 13.

Under the strict interpretation of Islamic law enforced in Saudi Arabia, unmarried or unrelated couples are not permitted to be alone together. Westerners are expected to abide by the rules in public, and many hotels will not check unmarried Western couples into a single room.

Sarkozy's office said the composition of the delegation has not yet been finalized. However, several officials in France, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said Bruni was not planning to go to Saudi Arabia.

The French president was criticized by several Egyptian officials in December for sharing a room with Carla Bruni while in Egypt on vacation, local media reported. Saudi Arabia is more conservative than Egypt, where unmarried Western couples are allowed to share hotel rooms.

The French newspaper Le Journal Du Dimanche, citing unidentified sources, said Sunday that Sarkozy proposed to Bruni in December, and the two would wed in early February.

The presidential palace declined to comment on the report.

[vetvetdoug]

Conservative culture?!!!

I guess pedophilia and having one night wives is conservative. Muzzies claiming conservatism would be like Larry Flynt claiming to be a saint.

[FreedomPoster]

There’s a great pic of her and Hill walking along together, both looking down and dejected, after recent events.

[RichInOC]

Afraid the goats will be jealous, eh?

[TaMoDee]

Yup, I just saw it. Thanks for the update.

[Ramius]

There is enough ?EWWW!? in that statement to make me sympathetic with the Saudis on this one!... She makes Paris Hilton seem clean-cut

But that's exactly the point. It is of no importance what the Saudis or anyone else thinks of the soon-to-be-Mrs Sarkozy. What matters is what Mr. Sarkozy thinks of her.

That's called "diplomacy" mister camel-herder. Learn it. Live it. Love it. And get used to it.

[Mr Rogers]

What matters is what Mr. Sarkozy thinks of her. That's called "diplomacy" mister camel-herder.

Diplomacy works in both directions, if at all.

Although I gather diplomacy isn't one of your strong points...

[Iron Munro]

"Under the strict interpretation of Islamic law enforced in Saudi Arabia, unmarried or unrelated couples are not permitted to be alone together."

Sarkozy should stay home and cut off the supply of French whores servicing Saudi big wigs visiting France.
He should also have police ensure that visiting Saudis are not permitted to to be alone with unrelated females, young boys or small farm animals in French hotels, apartments, etc.

It would be done out of respect for their cultural and religious sensitivities regarding out of wedlock sex.

[Polybius]

Sarkozy is NOT a muslim so there should be no religious reason for him to leave his fiance behind.

Can't believe I am defending the Saudis but here it goes.

Although he is not a Muslim he is going to their house. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." "Jim's house. Jim's rules."

Back in the 1940's, what the Saudis are asking for would have been the code of conduct while visiting the U.S. Would a foreign head of state invited to sleep in the White House in the 1940's have brought his unmarried girlfriend to sleep together in the Lincoln Bedroom?

How would current day American evangelicals react if a homosexual visiting head of state slept with his homosexual lover in the Lincoln Bedroom?

As for me, personally, Carla Bruni can come to my house to sleep with whomever she wants and I will sleep on the couch so she can have the master bedroom.

[Ramius]

Diplomacy works in both directions, if at all. Although I gather diplomacy isn't one of your strong points...

Exactly. Diplomacy works in both directions. But even a French diplomat can tell that it's not the French that need the lesson. Its the Saudis.

The Saudis have an important lesson to learn here: That not everybody will bend over and take it.

And yes... Diplomacy is one of my strong points.

[omega4179]

OTOH no intelligent woman should travel to saudi arabia or any sharia dictatorship. Their lives are worth less than a donkey.