“This is the only thing I’m trying to make them realise: don’t be silent now, because tomorrow they will muzzle you, and you won’t have the opportunity to speak on anything.”
Lina al-Hathloul has been vocal about the £305m takeover of Newcastle United by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund since it was cleared by the Premier League in October 2021.
The leading Saudi human rights activist had long been a campaigner since her sister, Loujain, became one of Saudi Arabia’s most well-known political prisoners after she was kidnapped, detained and tortured for standing up for women’s rights in their country. Initially, when the takeover stories emerged, Hathloul was determined not to let the Saudi regime buying one of English football’s most prized assets make people forget what was happening to her sister.
Three years later she continues to raise concerns with the way many Newcastle fans have not only welcomed the club’s owners but in some cases now actively defend them in the face of a multitude of human rights abuse accusations.
“It is important for Newcastle fans to understand how dangerous it can get when Saudi money is involved,” Hathloul tells i. “I want them to realise they still have power and leverage over Saudi policies and that they shouldn’t accept being muzzled in exchange for Saudi money – that they can still speak up against Saudi Arabia’s violations.”
The kingdom has tightened ties with Newcastle, the club and city, since the takeover, the most recent example being Saudi Arabia scheduling two friendlies – against Costa Rica last Friday and South Korea last night – at St James’ Park. New manager Roberto Mancini saw his side lose twice during the international break.
“What really bothers me is the decision around it,” Hathloul says. “No one has been transparent about why Saudi Arabia are playing in Newcastle. Who made the decision? Who’s behind it? It’s political.
“The fact there’s no transparency in this decision is scary. It shows how much more influence Saudi Arabia has with buying Newcastle. I’ve seen politicians in Newcastle being so hesitant to meet me, because they might get political backlash.”
Hathloul is concerned that these fans may not realise how damaging their actions may be. She has a stark warning as to where it could all lead.
“Today Newcastle fans are still able to enter the stadium whoever they are,” she says. “If we are going in that direction of accepting to be silent towards Saudi, tomorrow maybe Saudi will be buying the stadium itself and forbidding some Newcastle fans from entering because of social media posts. It can get that bad where people will have their freedoms removed if we are silent with Saudi now.”
The prospect sounds far-fetched – until you consider, for a moment, what happened to Hathloul’s sister. Part of the reason Loujain was imprisoned sounds equally as outlandish as a football club owner restricting who can attend matches based on social media posts: being female and driving a car.
After being kidnapped from the UAE in 2018, over several years Loujain was detained and tortured – including, it is claimed, being beaten, waterboarded and given electric shocks – for supporting women’s right to drive and the abolition of the male guardianship system.
“My family at that time was put under a travel ban,” Lina says. “Imagine the weight it had on me. It was too much. There was nothing else I could do but speak up.”
Then consider some Saudis are in prison for social media posts criticising the government.
“I imagine a scenario where they would surveil everyone’s social media and have criteria on who can enter the stadium based on the discourse a fan has around Saudi Arabia,” Hathloul continues.
“Let’s say someone doesn’t have enough social media thanking Saudi Arabia for the takeover, they won’t let them in.
“I’m exaggerating but this is, I think, what they’d like to do if they could. They don’t like dissent. They want to control.”
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