The media and Western leaders are talking a lot about the treatment of the women in Afghanistan [1, 2, 3] and the country's move towards the Sharia law [4]. They are described as issues raising serious concerns.
However there is no such concern when it comes to Saudi Arabia. Actually the move made by the Taliban is nothing other than an imitation of what is already in place there. Women, when the country was founded (between 1920-1930), had no rights [5] and changes, like access to education, happened very slowly. Only recently, after long protests, they managed to get the permission to drive cars [6].
Modern Islamic fundamentalism was formalised by scholars paid by the Saudi Royals who brought to prominence fringe sects [7] while they were already in business with American and British companies. The application of the Sharia law in Saudi Arabia has been funded with oil money, and it was never a source of concern.
However in several other contexts the threat to apply the Sharia is presented with a lot more concern. Why such difference?
