Yes is, is trump just singed a no flights in or out of the country to USA and courty cuz of the murdered
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of the Saudi government's involvement with his possible murder has resulted in outrage, but it's also had an impact on a group you may not have suspected: fans of WWE
As more is uncovered about Khashoggi's disappearance, fans of the wrestling promotion are expressing growing discomfort with an upcoming event the company is holding in Saudi Arabia.
While WWE fans are maybe the last group you'd think of in connection with the possible murder of a journalist by Saudi Arabia, the WWE has a lucrative deal with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and that's led to vocal opposition from some fans, which has been given new fuel by the Khashoggi case.
Khashoggi vanishes
Jamal Khashoggi was last seen on October 2, entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. He was there to obtain marriage documents while his fiancee waited outside. He never emerged from the building and hasn't been seen since.
The Washington Post, for whom Khashoggi wrote a column often critical of Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, reported this week that a literal Saudi murder squad killed Khashoggi inside the consulate and smuggled his body out.
The reports of his death got even more gruesome when a Turkish official reportedly told a close friend of Khashoggi's that his body was dismembered before its removal from the consulate. The Saudi government has denied these accusations, but the Trump administration is cranking up pressure over the mystery.
WWE feels the heat
The investigation into Khashoggi's possible murder comes just weeks before "Crown Jewel," an event WWE is holding in Riyadh on November 2, part of a long-term dealthe company has with the Saudi General Sports Authority (SGSA) which was met with plenty of controversy and skepticism.
The deal and these events are all part of bin Salman's "Vision 2030" plan, which aims to, among other things, invigorate and modernize the nation. That involves offering better entertainment options to inject some life into the economy and make residents just a bit happier.
Still, the deal and the shows have faced criticism for many reasons -- from the fact that the shows disrupt ongoing storylines to the political implications of the deal. And some fans have taken to social media to express dismay at the approaching "Crown Jewel," especially in light of Khashoggi's disappearance.
The controversy is also cropping up on "r/squaredcircle," the popular pro wrestling subreddit, where it's become a controversial topic because political discussion is usually verboten. One thread on the matter has generated over 1,300 comments so far.
There's real heat on the WWE for continuing to go forward with the event, though the organization doesn't show any signs of changing plans at this point. Mashable has reached out to a WWE spokesperson for comment but have yet to hear back.
That a new report from the Post suggests that bin Salman was directly involved in Khashoggi's disappearance only heightens the need for some sort of clarification from the WWE since the crown prince is a prominent figure involved in the WWE deal.
Look, pro wrestling fandom will never be a bastion of progressive ideals. But the WWE has a wide reach, and not all fans fit a certain stereotype. And those fans have been consistent in making noise about what they see as an ethically messy interaction for the WWE.
A controversial deal
This isn't the first time WWE fans have expressed displeasure with the company's Saudi Arabia deal. That started with April's "Greatest Royal Rumble" in Jeddah, which featured dozens of the promotion's biggest stars in a five-plus hour event that aired stateside on the WWE network.
For starters, none of the promotion's women wrestlers were allowed to participate,due to Saudi law that greatly restrict women's rights. (It's worth noting reports indicatethat women wrestlers earned a decent payday as a mea culpa for being left at home.) Add to that the kingdom's anti-LGBTQ stance and poor record on human rights and you've got a large segment of fans who weren't happy about the event.
Paul Levesque, an executive vice president of WWE and the popular wrestler "Triple H," defended the deal, saying the company had to respect other cultures and even suggested maybe the deal could lead to positive long-term changes.
“You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world and what you can’t do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it.
“While, right now, women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and we believe and hope that, in the next few years they will be. That is a significant cultural shift in Saudi Arabia.
But the event wasn't without its messes. The Saudi General Sports Authority had to issue an apologybecause an otherwise innocuous ad that played on the jumbotron inside the stadium during the "Greatest Royal Rumble" featured women in the act of wrestling. And the event was under threat of attack by Al Qaeda for being "sinful."
In the months after the "Greatest Royal Rumble," WWE announced it's first-ever all-women event, "Evolution," was happening Sunday, October 28. While Levesque deniedthe suggestion the event was in response to the women's exclusion from Saudi Arabia, some fans believe otherwise, especially since "Crown Jewel" was announced just days after plans for "Evolution" were revealed.
In the end, though, it's a good guess that the WWE won't deviate from its current Saudi Arabia plans -- no matter how much pressure fans exert. While the company hasn't announced publicly what their long-term deal is worth, eagle-eyed observers combing through quarterly earnings reports estimated the company made somewhere in the neighborhood of $40-50 million on just the "Greatest Royal Rumble" alone.
That WWE has its own ties to the Trump White House, which can't be underestimated either. Linda McMahon, former WWE president and CEO and wife of WWE chairman and all-around head honcho Vince McMahon, is a member of Trump's cabinet as leader of the Small Business Administration.
So it seems the McMahons would take some direction from the White House, which has its own investment in Saudi Arabia thanks to the diplomatic involvement Jared Kushner has with the kingdom. For all his suggestions he's going to look into it, if Trump ultimately doesn't come down hard on Saudi Arabia, it's unlikely WWE will do anything to jeopardize their expensive deal.
In a statement to Mashable, WWE said only "We are currently monitoring the situation.”
And, at that point, it'll be up to those vocal wrestling fans to make a decision: to put action behind their words and abandon the company or to simply shrug it off and accept it as just another unfortunate cost of doing business.
I understand that like, a lot of people won't cancel it but I'm trying to find charities to give to in response to this. Money is what changes things, and I don't think enough people will cancel the WWE Network to make a difference. I certainly won't be watching the show, but I'm looking at a good charity to give to, either helping with legal fees for people jailed in Saudi Arabia, any humans rights efforts focused on Saudi Arabia, etc. Maybe donate a minimum of $9.99 American, so like, $11 something Canadian.
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