Politics

WaPo’s Colby King uses racial epithet to describe Sunni-Shiite split in Saudi Arabia

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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The “n-word” transcends international boundaries. Who knew?

That’s the case according to Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist Colbert King, who usually appears in the Saturday post and places an emphasis on District of Columbia politics and culture in his columns.

On the broadcast of the syndicated show “Inside Washington” set for air this Sunday in most media markets, King described the dynamic between the Sunni and the Shiite almost as if it were a punchline to joke. However, that could come into play if the current unrest in Bahrain spreads into Saudi Arabia.

“There’s an added factor here that you didn’t have present in Egypt that you have in Bahrain and you would have in Saudi Arabia and that is the question of Islam itself and the split that you have between the Sunnis, who are running things, and the Shiite,” King said. “You know what they call Shiites in Saudi Arabia? Sand [expletive]. That’s how oppressive it is for the Shiites.”

And as “Inside Washington” moderator Gordon Peterson explained – the divide in Bahrain is emphasized since the ruling class in Bahrain is Sunni.

“And also, the King – the monarchy in Bahrain is Sunni-led,” Peterson said.

Watch: