‘I Feel Totally Picked On’ Says CEO Of Beverly Hills Hotel Owned By Stoning Sultan

The CEO of a chain of ultra-luxury hotels owned by one of the richest men in the world is complaining that boycotts against his Beverly Hills Hotel make him feel “totally unfairly picked on.” 

Christopher Cowdray, CEO of the Dorchester Collection, the ultra-luxury chain of ten hotels owned by an investment firm that in turn is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, flew from London to Beverly Hills to support his employees.

LOOK: Welcome To Brunei, Where Being Gay Can Literally Get You Stoned To Death

At issue, the country of Brunei, under the will of their ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, has just implemented sharia laws that mandate stoning to death of gay men and lesbian women for being homosexual, along with the stoning to death of rapists, adulterers, those who engage in blasphemy or insult the Prophet or the Qur’an, and women who have abortions. Other barbaric punishments being implemented include amputations and flogging.

The Sultan has said he recently became more religious.

The Beverly Hills Hotel is the target now of a boycott by some of the most famous and richest people in America. Jay Leno delivered a speech at a protest yesterday, and celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Osbourne, and Virgin Atlantic owner Richard Branson have all spoken out against the laws and the hotel.

Cowdray told CBS News that the “Beverly Hills Hotel has done absolutely nothing wrong.” He added, “I feel totally unfairly picked on,” and complained that all the protestors are doing “is hurting a local business.”

CBS News’ Ben Tracy asked CEO Cowdray what he or his company think about the implementation of sharia laws that include the biblical times custom of death by stoning.

“Does the Dorchester Collection have an opinion of the laws being implemented in Brunei?” Tracy asked.

“No, I don’t have any opinion whatsoever,” Cowdray said.

“You don’t think they are wrong?”

“I am not prepared to comment on that,” he said.

Watch:  

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/beverly-hills-protests-grow-against-hotel-owner-over-brunei-laws

Previously:

Law Mandating The Stoning Of Gays To Death To Begin

The Top Ten List Of Least — And Most — Homophobic Countries May Surprise You

And Now There Are 77 Countries Where Being Gay Is Illegal