‘There Is So Much to See and So Little Time to See It’
Hassan Adawi & Roger Harrison, Arab News
JEDDAH, 26 April 2006 — The biggest tour group to visit Jeddah in two years arrived yesterday on the cruise ship MS Bremen. The 84 tourists from Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the UK, left their ship in the Jeddah Islamic Port early yesterday morning to visit sites of interest in Jeddah.
The Saudi goverment is tarting to pick up its efforts to bring tourists–Western tourists–to the Kingdom. This Arab News story has some details and reaction from this international group.
Judge Reverses Ruling in Nour Miyati Abuse Case
Maha Akeel, Arab NewsJEDDAH, 26 April 2006 — The judge who had previously sentenced an Indonesian maid to 79 lashes for falsely accusing her sponsor and his wife of torturing her has reversed his sentence.
Arab News has learned that the judge who in December sentenced Nour Miyati, the maid brought to a Riyadh hospital back in March 2005 in a critical condition, has revoked that sentence but upheld the sentence of 35 lashes against the sponsor’s wife for beating Miyati.
It’s overdue, but welcomed. According to this Arab News article, the Saudi judiciary seems to be starting to get the message that they need to be far more open to reality than they have been. This case involves an indonesian maid who, through the abuse of her sponsors, lost several digits and was hospitalized in serious condition. Outrageously, the court found her guilty of raising fals accusations against the sponsor, even though the extent of the abuse was apparent.
Now, the same judge has reversed himself by taking away the threat of further punishment of the maid. Perhaps common sense is starting to leak into some of the judiciary.
Islam Is Innocent
Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al ObeikanDue to the regrettable events that took place recently between Egypt’s Muslims and Christians, I decided to postpone my article concerning the ‘codification of Sharia and dedicate this piece to the matter of jurisprudence related to the dealing with and treatment of non-Muslims.
Islam is a religion of mercy and justice. It was revealed to bring happiness to humanity and to deliver people from darkness. Islam is not about shedding blood or violating the rights of others.
As for how Islam deals with non-Muslims, jurisprudence has classified this into four categories…
This is the introduction of an op-ed appearing in today’s Asharq Alawsat. Written by a famous Saudi cleric, it carries weight among Muslim readers. Al-Obeikan is often cited in Western media as well. Sometimes it’s for articles like this one–condemning terror–but sometimes also for intemperate remarks.
This piece is interesting, too, for the way in which Al-Obeikan divides the world of the non-Muslim into four categories, each with different rights of protection given it through traditional Islam. Understanding how different cultures parse the world is always useful.
The problem with this division of obligation, however, is that it is solely Islamic and is rejected by the vast majority of the world’s cultures. All states have an obligation to protect those in it, for whatever reason and no matter their religions.
This issue is raised in another Asharq Alawsat piece today: Arabs Question Why Muslims Are Now Targets. It shouldn’t matter at all the nationality or religion of victims killed by terror.
These articles indicate small steps toward understanding the problems of terrorism, but also show that there’s considerable movement still necessary. Consider it half a step forward…
Saudi Interior Arabia Bans Schools from Collecting for Charities
By Turki Al-SaheilRiyadh, Asharq al-Awsat- Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz said the educational authorities in his country have banned the collection of donations from students at all levels toward or for the benefit of charitable organizations. He said that it was necessary to restrict this matter. The General Education Administration in the Riyadh area confirmed in a report earlier this month that government and charitable schools, as well as private educational institutions in and around the city of Riyadh, would be prohibited from collecting donations inside schools for any charitable organizations whatsoever…
The United States had placed a number of Saudi charitable organizations on a list of supporters of terrorism in the wake of the 11 September, 2001 events. Investigations conducted by Saudi security agencies with some suspects against the background of the terrorist events that have raged in the country since May 2003 have confirmed their involvement in collecting funds for terrorist cells and the use of some of the most prominent names of charitable organizations in the country for this purpose.
Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz said in his statements on 11 April that there are people in his country that are religiously and patriotically weak and that may be actively providing funds to terrorist organizations.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia denied having received an American demand for the monitoring of charitable works in the country last Ramadan.
A Saudi official meanwhile declared that his country has strictly regulated charitable work over the past three years by restricting charities to known channels and licensed charitable organizations. He said that accounts of charities are transparent and properly specified with regard to the kind of charity, its proprietors, and its bank, and there is supervision under the Arab Saudi Monetary Organization, he also thought that the regulations set by the government were far less likely to be sidestepped or penetrated, making acts of fraud by organizations that are restricted or banned less likely.
According to this Asharq Alawsat article, the Saudi government continues to close potential avenues for funding terror. While this seems a low-income channel, keeping every cent (or hallalah out of terrorist hands is worthwhile.
Editorial: Developing Partnership
The Arab News runs an editorial today discussing the new relationship developing between Saudi Arabia and China. These, the paper says, are primarily in the energy sector, based on current–and growing–Chinese demand for petroleum-based fuels. But they are deeper that that: five key pacts promoting cooperation on security, defense, health, trade and youth affairs have been signed over the past couple of months.
According to the paper: “China is going to be as important a partner in the coming years as the West was during the developing decades of the 1970s and 1980s. That is bound to affect those political ties.”
Today, The Washington Post had an on-line Question-and-Answer session with Rachel Bronson, author of Thicker than Oil, which I reviewed a few days ago.
She addresses a good range of topics, from Saudi government efforts pulling the Shi’a minority into the social and political realm, to “peak oil” and Bush Administration moves to promote democracy in the KSA and the Middle East at large.
The formatting of the session on the Post‘s pages is a little ragged, making it sometimes difficult to tell who’s saying what. It also misses one question entirely, but a little bit of efforts makes it clear enough.
Defnitely worth a few minutes to read.
Saudi Arabia Launches a New Electronic System to Monitor Mosques
By Turki Al-SaheilRiyadh Asharq Al-Awsat- As the first official response to violence and arson attacks on a number of mosques in Riyadh, the minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawaa and Guidance, Salah Al Sheikh, revealed the identity of the perpetrators who committed the crimes last December. The Minister’s announcement came with the launching of a new system that monitors Saudi mosques electronically through a network based on the Geographical Information System (GIS).
The minister also revealed that those behind the arson of mosques were are mentally disturbed. He pointed out that the matter was personally followed up by the Governor of Riyadh as well as by the security institutions. Last December, attacks were carried out on a number of mosques in Riyadh in which they were vandalized and some burnt.
The minister refuted the statements that imams and preachers in Saudi Arabia were not doing enough to combat terrorist ideas as he said, “there were no shortcomings on behalf of imams and preachers as they have carried out their responsibilities but the matter deserves more time.” As the GIS system was launched, the Minister said the project aimed at creating a program to monitor all mosques and to set up monitoring systems inside. The minister clarified that this would enable the Ministry to be acquainted with the mosques everyday through modern technology.
The project has already been implemented in the mosques of Al Malaz quarter, east of Riyadh. By mid 2007, monitors would have been set up in other mosques of Riyadh. By mid 2008, the ministry hopes to have included all of the kingdom’s mosques in the project.
This article from Asharq Alawsat looks pretty anodyne until you actually read it. Setting up cameras on mosques to prevent arson seems a little high-tech, but not out of keeping with other country’s security measures. But when you read that cameras will also be set up inside the mosques, well, it takes on a more serious coloration.
The piece suggests that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs will be monitoring directly what’s being preached in the mosques. This will certianly give them a better handle on controlling extremist sermons than second-hand reports. I can’t imagine that the imams and khateebs will be happy to hear this…
Spreading the culture of dialogue and forgiveness
JEDDAH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue plan to organise short courses for imams throughout Saudi Arabia in order to spread a culture of dialogue and forgiveness, according to the Arabic daily Asharq Al Awsat.
A source told the daily that the courses would include lectures by senior ulema (religious scholars) in Saudi Arabia, including the Saudi mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh and members of the Senior Ulema Commission, aimed at advising imams to spread a culture of dialogue and accept divergent opinions, while shunning extremism.
This major step would involve a large number of imams and khateebs (those who lead the prayers at mosques) in different regions of the Kingdom. These sessions are part of a wider campaign by the King Abdulaziz Centre to spread a culture of dialogue, building on the recommendations of the first national dialogue in 2003, which stressed that Islam is a moderate religion that does not accept extremism.
This article, originating in Asharq Alawsat, is republished in Dubai’s Khaleej Times. And it makes for some interesting reading…
Any effort to get imams to open their minds to other than strict Wahhabist interpretations of Islam is welcome. This project goes nicely with the King’s National Dialogues, in which he’s bringing people from different Islamic traditions together, to have them relate as Saudis, not as members or not-members of any particular strain of Islam.
The Arabs’ Generation of Failure
Farouk Al-BazDespite the loyalty and dedication of our generation, it has failed drastically to achieve the aspirations of the Arab people. We have come across a number of difficulties and obstacles that eventually led to this failure. We failed to reach goals that intellectuals and politicians of our countries considered achievable. The generation I speak of consists of those who were educated in top high schools and universities during the fifties and sixties in the Arab world. This generation in particular includes a number of the most educated, most energetic, and most persistent people.
Due to such enthusiasm, we believed that no goal was beyond our reach. Failure was out of the question. We were confident that in little time we could elevate the Arab world to the highest levels of human development.
This is a good op-ed by Dr. Farouk Al-Baz, an Egyptian-American scientist, appearing in the pan-Arabic Asharq Alawsat. Al-Baz, currently Research Professor and Director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University, was, for many years, one of NASA’s top scientists, responsible–among many other things–for picking landing sites for missions to the Moon and Mars. (Read a biography here.)
In this piece, Al-Baz finds several reasons for Arab failure, including the shifting of focus from the individual to organizations run by the state. He rails against the seduction of Arab nationists by variant forms of socialism that have all failed. Actually, he’s got a lot to say and it’s worth reading.
Saudi Arabia to Appoint Female Islamic Preachers to Official Posts
By Abdel Qader Al-ZahraniJeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da’wah and Guidance in Saudi Arabia is currently studying the appointment of female preachers of Islam. Sheikh Saleh Al Sheikh, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da’wah and Guidance, stated that Islamic Da’wah (preaching) of females is synonymous to that of men and that “the ministry has been keen to organize the effort that has been made for many years now by officially appointing a number of female preachers.” He added that the ministry has not yet concluded studies concerning female preaching of Islam.
Al Sheikh added, “We have begun to organize female preaching through various associations and centers more so than through mosques. These have been the steps followed by the Ministry for many years now, as the matter of female preaching is not a new experience but has been carried out for a number of years.” Furthermore, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da’wah and Guidance added there would be an increase in rewards for those who report unidentified donations from 5% to 10% of the value.
This brief Asharq Alawsat piece is an eye-opener! While women aren’t yet given government backing to preach in mosques, they are being pulled in to take part in the religious establishment. As the article says, though, this is a multi-year project and it’ll take at least that long for women to be accepted.
Interesting throw-away in the piece, too, about how people will be rewarded for turning in those making unauthorized/unmonitored ‘charitable donations”. It’s another step to get control over terror financing.
The Man Who Helped Launch Kingdom’s National Carrier
Michael Saba, sabamps@aol.comEvery so often, we all need our batteries recharged. Today a conversation with a new friend did just that for me. In February of 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal of Egypt. At this historic meeting, these leaders of their respective nations, forged a relationship that would define US-Saudi relations until today. At the conclusion of the meeting they presented each other with gifts. President Roosevelt gave the king a wheelchair that he had on board the Quincy, and promised to deliver to the king a brand new state-of-the-art DC3 airplane.
That plane was flown into Saudi Arabia later in 1945. Today I spoke with Joseph Grant, the pilot who flew the DC3 into Saudi Arabia and delivered it to King Abdul Aziz. Grant is 98 years old and his energy and enthusiasm about Saudi Arabia and American relations with Saudi Arabia really rang my bell. “You know, one of these days I’m gonna have to go and I’m not gonna like it. I’ve got some things to do before I leave,†he told me.
Michael Saba is Executive Director of the Friends of Saudi Arabia, a group dedicated to increasing understanding between the US and Saudi Arabia (They maintain a somewhat inactive website at FSAUS.org). He’s been working to find the original DC3 airplane that was the first in the Saudi fleet and get it back to Saudi Arabia. This article is part of his effort to personalize the relationship.
Saudi Women in Deluge for Lingerie Store Jobs
Riyadh, 21 April (AKI) – Some 10,000 Saudi women have applied for jobs in lingerie shops in the kingdom after the authorities decided to replace male salesmen, the kingdom’s labour minister has told local media. Gazi al-Gosaibi also reiterated the government’s determination to implement the decision within the stipulated time, by 18 July, the Gulf News daily reported. “Around 10,000 Saudi women have expressed their willingness to work at lingerie shops in a number of major cities in the country,” he said.
Al-Gosaibi noted that the decision taken by the Cabinet last year to employ Saudi saleswomen at exclusive women’s showrooms in a phased manner was the outcome of studies carried out over 20 years.
This article from the Italian news agency ADN Kronos International, points to the fact that Saudi women want jobs. And that the government is intent on finding those jobs.
But it also points out that it’s taken the government 20 years to get to this point. That’s not a criticism of the Ministry of Labor, but to note that Saudi society is extremely conservative on social issues. It always takes longer than it seems necessary to get things done, but obviously, the government can’t move faster than the people are willing to support. That said, things are starting to move more quickly in the country.