Saudi Gazette reports on an incident in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, where a Saudi diplomat discovered that diplomatic immunity only works when the people on the other side know what it means. While processing visas for pilgrims in his hotel room, he was interrupted and searched by the local police who’d heard that something unusual was going on with visas.

Mr Al-Subaili was perfectly within the bounds of diplomatic behavior and was doing his diplomatic job. That doesn’t matter, though, if the local authorities don’t respect it or even know what protections it provides. I had moments in Syria involving zealous security organ members and their guns who hadn’t a clue what diplomatic immunity meant. You just know that things aren’t going to being working out well when they don’t actually know what a passport is. So, you comply with their orders and complain to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I’m sure the Saudi government will complain here, too, though they’re unlikely to make a major fuss out of it. The Muslims in Port of Spain will do that adequately.

Saudi diplomat ill-treated by Trinidad police

PORT OF SPAIN – Muslims groups in Trinidad and Tobago have demanded an apology from police after they questioned and searched a visiting Saudi diplomat who was processing visas for the Haj.

Police said they questioned Fawaz Abdul Rahman Al-Shubaili and searched his hotel room after receiving information suggesting he posed a national security threat.

Al-Shubaili, who arrived in the twin-island nation Sunday, was reportedly distributing visas to Trinidadians planning Haj when police turned up at his hotel room. “Four of five individuals, men, came to his room and told him they were looking for arms and ammunitions, and asked him to remove his shirt to conduct a search,” said Sheikh Munaf Mohammed, who coordinated Al-Shubaili’s visit.
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