Jailing human rights activists. Lashing bloggers. Treating women as second class citizens and minorities as indentured slaves. Saudi Arabia continues to grossly violate basic standards of human rights.

Many peaceful activists, like Raif and Samar Badawi, have been wrongfully detained by Saudi Arabia. They risked their lives and livelihoods to speak their minds. In return, we must speak up for those who are denied these basic rights. Now, Canada is showing true leadership by refusing to ignore these abuses and calling for the release of all peaceful human rights activists.

In response to this criticism, the Saudi Arabian government has expelled the Canadian ambassador, frozen trade, suspended scholarships to students, and halted medical treatment for citizens in Canada.

However, Canada has refused to back down.

With our voices, we must urge the rest of the world to follow Canada’s steps.

Countries like the US and the UK that claim to champion human rights and civil liberties should join the fight, and spearhead campaigns to release the peaceful activists. With enough pressure, Saudi Arabia will come to learn that no amount of oil wealth can buy them the compliance of the world. We must make clear that our economic ties and relations are a two-way street, that Saudi Arabia cannot expect to strong-arm the world into accepting their brutalities.

Human rights activists in the Middle East put their lives at risk every day – the least we can do is support them from the leisure of our countries, that have achieved the freedoms they seek for their own.

Ex-Muslims of North America believes that the freedom of expression and dissent is the most fundamental of liberties, and applauds the bravery and leadership of the Canadian government.

Show your support by sharing/tweeting #IStandWithCanada and #OilCantBuySilence.