The Middle East Media Research Institution (MEMRI), a pro-Israeli organization based in Washington, DC, runs this piece citing Saudi journalists who see the attacks of 9/11 as the factor that started massive social change in Saudi Arabia. I basically agree, though some reforms had started earlier and it took at least another year for change to pick up any useful pace. While 9/11 may have opened some eyes, it was the fire at the girls’ school in Mecca in 2002 and the attacks on residential compounds in 2003 that made it clear to (nearly) all, that the Kingdom needed to change course.
With the approach of the seventh anniversary of 9/11, Saudi liberal journalists have noted the changes in their country that resulted from these events, and the changes that came in its aftermath – particularly, that Saudi society is currently undergoing a shift away from fundamentalism and towards liberalism.
Following are excerpts from two articles reflecting this viewpoint:
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
September:15:2008 - 11:49
Hmmmm ???
September:22:2008 - 04:48
I find that quite true, as tragic as 9/11 was it left a huge leverage tool in the hand of Saudi reformers. Even though some of them still get jailed for being outspoken, there is still room for the call of change.