Saudi Arabia is one of the most authoritarian regimes in the world. It has a policy of discrimination toward women, a complete disregard for human rights and a total lack of democracy.
Saudi King Abdullah.
Photo: AP
Rigid application of Shari'a - Islamic law - leads to such atrocities as putting women to death by stoning, cutting off the hands of thieves and widespread use of the death penalty.
The country is the center of ultra-conservative
Wahhabi Islam, and it contributes large sums of money to the creation of mosques and Islamic cultural centers throughout the world which teach the most extreme forms of the religion.
Finally, the Saudis supported the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas in Gaza, only ceasing such support when they realized that both groups also posed an enormous domestic threat.
All of the above did nothing to improve the image of Saudi Arabia in the world, an image which was further tarnished when it was revealed that 16 of the 19 terrorists who launched the 9/11 attacks in New York were Saudi nationals. Following the discovery, many US officials called for a drastic cooling in relations with the kingdom.
Today King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz is desperately trying to improve his country's image abroad and introduce much needed reforms. But he is doing so while facing two very real threats to the stability of his kingdom: AlQaida and the subversive activities of Iran.
Oil rich Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. According to the Basic Law of 1992, it must be ruled by the descendants of King Abdel Aziz Al Saud. Further, as the Koran is the country's constitution, it must be governed according to Islamic law.
Both factors should have made the kingdom less vulnerable to modern influences than any other Arab or Islamic country. But current global culture being as pervasive as it is, changes were inevitable.
King Abdullah was wise enough to understand that his family would ultimately pay a price if he did not initiate some of the reforms so desperately wanted by the younger generations - and by women, who are still subject to discrimination and repression. As soon as he acceded to the throne in 2005, he attempted to reform religious, cultural and judicial institutions to loosen the stranglehold of the Wahhabi religious establishment. One of his first decisions was to appoint younger and more liberal officials to the Ministry of Education to modernize school curriculums. It is unclear what - if any - progress was made.
Princess Adala, one of the king's daughters, has also been active in promoting better conditions for women. Under her guidance, gymnastics has been introduced into all public and private schools for girls. Sports and health clubs for women have been established, and women have been granted the right to take part in both domestic and international competitions.
Last month witnessed the formal opening of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, an institution which is not only physically state-of-the-art, but also culturally. While the country has yet to allow men and women to study together, the university breaks from that tradition and permits gender-mixing. Further, although women are forbidden to drive or to go out unaccompanied by a male family member elsewhere in the kingdom, on the university campus women are allowed to drive.
The opening of the university, combined with the introduction of sports in girls schools, will not radically change the face of Saudi Arabia, but it is a step in the right direction. It should therefore come as no surprise that both have angered conservative forces. Yet the king - who has the wholehearted support of academics and liberals - has not conceded. In a sign that Abdullah would not tolerate dissent, he dismissed one of the most revered religious leaders, Sheikh Saad Bin Nasser al-Shetri, who had vigorously condemned the mingling of men and women in the new university. This was taken as a warning that the king would not tolerate dissent.
Aside from religious leaders, the king also faces dissent for his modernization of education from within his own court. These opponents are led by Interior Minister Prince Naef, who has stated publicly that he is against the liberalization of the status of women. But the king has many allies in the royal family, and they are also outspoken. Prince Walid bin Talal, who is well-known in the West for his liberal views, was filmed next to his wife when she declared that she drives alone when abroad, and that she hopes one day she would be able to do the same in the kingdom. The king undoubtedly gave his blessing to the declaration.
When implementing his judicial reforms, Abdullah took equally groundbreaking measures. His firing of the head of the Supreme Court and several high ranking members of the Office of the Mufti ( Dar el Iftaa) were actions tantamount to a declaration of war against the rigid Islamic establishment.
Despite all of his progress, King Abdullah is still coming under fire from those who feel he continues to move too slowly. A few months ago, Saudis in favor of a constitutional monarchy called on the king to allow non-royals to run for high office, including the premiership. In addition, they urged him to act within the framework of a constitution.
On a different front, the kingdom came under unprecedented criticism from a local human rights organization. In its yearly report, the Saudi National Human Rights Association harshly and publicly criticized, for the first time, government institutions which violate human rights, emphasizing specifically the Interior Ministry and the so-called modesty watch.
The king has taken recent steps to address the continued concerns. Last week he signed a new law making it possible for government and educational institutions to promote "human rights culture," a set of principles compatible with Islamic law, and offering detailed explanations on human rights and the institutions set up to safeguard them. Yet debate continues as to the effectiveness of his reforms.
