--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our pious horror at the intolerant and…" description: "\"Our pious horror at the intolerant and repressive behaviour of Islamic State is bitterly funny, given that it is really not that different from the pol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png" --- # Our pious horror at the intolerant and repressive… ![“Our pious horror at the intolerant and repressive behaviour of Islamic State is bitterly funny, given that it is really not that different from the policies of our close ally, Saudi Arabia.” quote by Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png) > “Our pious horror at the intolerant and repressive behaviour of Islamic State is bitterly funny, given that it is really not that different from the policies of our close ally, Saudi Arabia.” [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Points out hypocrisy in condemning one group while similar allies act alike. **In simple terms:** Criticizes double standards in foreign policy. Key Takeaway Question moral consistency. Themes politics ethics hypocrisy Mood critical skeptical Type analytical controversial When to use this quote - debating policy - writing op‑eds - academic research - activism Key Concepts double standards foreign policy moral relativism Questions to Reflect On - What standards should guide criticism of allies? - How do we address bias in policy analysis? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitical realities may blur moral judgments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ally/) [Behaviour Islamic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour-islamic-5682729/) [Bitterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterly-754463/) [Bitterly Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterly-funny-5682727/) [Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Islamic state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamic-state/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Saudi arabia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saudi-arabia/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [State Bitterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-bitterly-5682728/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think the British or American governments really want to fight the Islamic State. They just want to look as if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/i-don-t-think-the-british-or-american-governments-really-want-to/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [“I suppose that means you don’t want any band-aids, either,” I said, a touch more bitterly than I’d meant to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-richards/i-suppose-that-means-you-don-t-want-any-band-aids-either-i-said-a/) [J.M. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-richards/) > [Show me a man who feels bitterly toward John Brown, and let me hear what noble verse he can repeat. He'll be as dumb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/show-me-a-man-who-feels-bitterly-toward-john-brown-and-let-me-hear/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [All parties attempt to represent important things that have developed outside themselves as unimportant, and where they fail in this they assail those things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/all-parties-attempt-to-represent-important-things-that-have-developed/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“But the boy only muttered bitterly,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/but-the-boy-only-muttered-bitterly/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Nothing is sacred. Not even your own mother, not the Jewish martyrs, not even people starving of hunger. Laugh at everything, ferociously, bitterly, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-cavanna/nothing-is-sacred-not-even-your-own-mother-not-the-jewish-martyrs-not/) [Francois Cavanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-cavanna/) > [“Family isn't blood," she said bitterly, continuing to back away. "Family is who loves you, who takes care of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-coville/family-isn-t-blood-she-said-bitterly-continuing-to-back-away-family/) [Bruce Coville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-coville/) > [That which is hard to do is best done bitterly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/that-which-is-hard-to-do-is-best-done-bitterly/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“Are you okay?” She laughed bitterly. “What’s ‘okay’?” “I’ve never really known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-garner/are-you-okay-she-laughed-bitterly-what-s-okay-i-ve-never-really-known/) [Paula Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-garner/) > [Nothing stings us so bitterly as the loss of money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/nothing-stings-us-so-bitterly-as-the-loss-of-money/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [ I find it bitterly ironic that the bulk of the money a medical-malpractice jury awarded to Terri \[Schaivo\] for use in making her better… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-j-smith/i-find-it-bitterly-ironic-that-the-bulk-of-the-money-a-medical/) [Wesley J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-j-smith/) > [It's always bitterly disappointing to people to see how normally one can live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bana/it-s-always-bitterly-disappointing-to-people-to-see-how-normally-one/) [Eric Bana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bana/) > [“Yeah, well, screw you Solo," I say bitterly. "You can drop dead and die!" I'm aware of the redundancy in that statement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yeah-well-screw-you-solo-i-say-bitterly-you-can-drop-dead-and-die-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the veil of death has been drawn between us and the objects of our regard, how quick-sighted do we become to their merits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-heber/when-the-veil-of-death-has-been-drawn-between-us-and-the-objects-of/) [Reginald Heber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-heber/) > [How grudging memory is, and how bitterly she clutches the raw material of her daily work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/how-grudging-memory-is-and-how-bitterly-she-clutches-the-raw-material/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) ## More by Peter Hitchens > [Direct Grants, private schools which took huge numbers of state pupils, involved effective co-operation between state and private sectors - a thing all modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/direct-grants-private-schools-which-took-huge-numbers-of-state-pupils/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Actually, I never wanted an E.U. referendum, and I think those who called for it will one day wish they hadn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/actually-i-never-wanted-an-e-u-referendum-and-i-think-those-who/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [I hate cars and wish they had never been invented. I try to use them only when I absolutely have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/i-hate-cars-and-wish-they-had-never-been-invented-i-try-to-use-them/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [What we need and have not got at Westminster are real experience and wisdom, possessed by people who do not view politics as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/what-we-need-and-have-not-got-at-westminster-are-real-experience-and/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [The Left have always preferred the state to the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/the-left-have-always-preferred-the-state-to-the-family/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [“Americans may say they love our accents (I have been accused of sounding 'like Princess Di') but the more thoughtful ones resent and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/americans-may-say-they-love-our-accents-i-have-been-accused-of/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [As I am actually partly Cornish, I am frequently tempted to start some sort of Cornish liberation front in the Home Counties, where our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/as-i-am-actually-partly-cornish-i-am-frequently-tempted-to-start-some/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Fear is good and useful when it's deployed on the side of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/fear-is-good-and-useful-when-it-s-deployed-on-the-side-of-common-sense/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [It's interesting how thrillers reflect the times we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/it-s-interesting-how-thrillers-reflect-the-times-we-live-in/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Terrorists are overjoyed when we shut down our freedoms and turn ourselves into a police state and when we retaliate, swatting the Middle East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/terrorists-are-overjoyed-when-we-shut-down-our-freedoms-and-turn/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Comprehensive schools, as too few understand, have never been designed to improve education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/comprehensive-schools-as-too-few-understand-have-never-been-designed/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [If you want a day free of work, you must expect others to have the same privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/if-you-want-a-day-free-of-work-you-must-expect-others-to-have-the/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [The giant fraud that is Britain's education system strides ever onwards, messing up many more lives than it improves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/the-giant-fraud-that-is-britain-s-education-system-strides-ever/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [The worst country I ever lived in, the old U.S.S.R., was crammed with privileges for the political elite. They had their own hospital, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/the-worst-country-i-ever-lived-in-the-old-u-s-s-r-was-crammed-with/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [If a man's reputation can be destroyed in an afternoon by a secret kangaroo court, then we, too, can one day be propelled into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/if-a-man-s-reputation-can-be-destroyed-in-an-afternoon-by-a-secret/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) [Explore all 111 Peter Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) ## More Ally quotes > [What would your life be like if your body were your friend and ally?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/what-would-your-life-be-like-if-your-body-were-your-friend-and-ally/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [“You get married to have an ally against your family,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-get-married-to-have-an-ally-against-your-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When black women are down with you and in your corner, you have an ally that will move Heaven and Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/when-black-women-are-down-with-you-and-in-your-corner-you-have-an/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [“Ally may be Evan’s by law, but she’s mine by nature. And in a battle between lions, no one gives a fuck about what’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-l-jennings/ally-may-be-evan-s-by-law-but-she-s-mine-by-nature-and-in-a-battle/) [S.L. Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-jennings/) > [There is an irreplaceable ally. It's called the United States of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/there-is-an-irreplaceable-ally-it-s-called-the-united-states-of/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [My own take on the word "transgender" is that it's an umbrella term for anyone who breaks any rules, laws, guidelines or protocol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/my-own-take-on-the-word-transgender-is-that-it-s-an-umbrella-term-for/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [The first thing we need allies to do is listen. Come to us with a willingness to grow and evolve. You're going to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mcbride/the-first-thing-we-need-allies-to-do-is-listen-come-to-us-with-a/) [Sarah McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mcbride/) > [If America is truly Israel's greatest ally, we should not be asking it to put its citizens and future at risk by forcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hasner/if-america-is-truly-israel-s-greatest-ally-we-should-not-be-asking-it/) [Adam Hasner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hasner/) > [“A good enemy can be better than the best of friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simona-panova/a-good-enemy-can-be-better-than-the-best-of-friend/) [Simona Panova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simona-panova/) > [“Jake's POV: Meanwhile, Ally was here with Marshall Moss, who she was obviously going to hook up with later. They'd barely stopped touching each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-scott/jake-s-pov-meanwhile-ally-was-here-with-marshall-moss-who-she-was/) [Kieran Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-scott/) > [I try to make as much time as I can for R5, because I love it so much. Ultimately, that's what's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-lynch/i-try-to-make-as-much-time-as-i-can-for-r5-because-i-love-it-so-much/) [Ross Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-lynch/) > [In a way, the cancer became an ally because it stopped me from running around so much. I was able to settle down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/in-a-way-the-cancer-became-an-ally-because-it-stopped-me-from-running/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [The job of a good ally is not to save anybody but rather to help create the conditions under which people can assert and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rinku-sen/the-job-of-a-good-ally-is-not-to-save-anybody-but-rather-to-help/) [Rinku Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rinku-sen/) > [I think president after president has always stood behind Israel. We always will. They're our ally there. And we have to do whatever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutch-ruppersberger/i-think-president-after-president-has-always-stood-behind-israel-we/) [Dutch Ruppersberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutch-ruppersberger/) > [The $52.6 billion U.S. intelligence arsenal is aimed mainly at unambiguous adversaries, including al-Qaida, North Korea and Iran. But top-secret budget documents reveal an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/the-52-6-billion-u-s-intelligence-arsenal-is-aimed-mainly-at/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) [Browse all 165 Ally quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ally/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our pious horror at the intolerant and repressive behaviour of Islamic State is bitterly funny, given that it is really not that different from the policies of our close ally, Saudi Arabia.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Hitchens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-repressive-behaviour-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ally" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-repressive-behaviour-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ac/peter-hitchens-4419_ally_our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-r_3155489.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our pious horror at the intolerant and repressive behaviour of Islamic State is bitterly funny, given that…” — Peter Hitchens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Hitchens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our pious horror at the intolerant...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-repressive-behaviour-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/our-pious-horror-at-the-intolerant-and-repressive-behaviour-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```