The Saudi Arabic daily Al-Watan published a draft law now circulating through the Shoura (Advisory) Council, Saudi Arabia’s non-elected parliament. Al-Arabiya TV put the newspaper article on line here [In Arabic].

The proposed regulations are good in part. They would establish a Council to oversee NGOs and define the composition of this Council. They seek to set basic standards on how NGOs administer themselves, how they report their finances and activities, and that they have formal by-laws. They state that the NGOs must, in fact, be ‘non-governmental’ and that their purpose be directed toward civil society. It correctly notes that the operation of NGOs will require coordination with various zakat and waqf organizations.

They’re not great in other regards, however, as they also seek to ensure that NGOs adhere to the provisions of Islamic Sharia, public order and morals and all that preserves national unity. And that sends the project down the rabbit hole.

The regulations, at least in draft, do not define what ‘public order and morals’ are. Nor do they delimit ‘national unity’. Lacking these, the regulations will result in ‘lowest common denominator’ politics: only that which is acceptable to all (including the mandatory presence of representatives from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs) will be permitted.