Are Saudi Reforms for Real?
By Arshad Alam, New
Age Islam
1 February
2021
The
‘opening’ up of Saudi Arabia, initiated by Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) has
generated a lot of interest worldwide. The loosening of strict cultural norms
by introducing cinema, women being allowed to travel and drive, have all been
received very positively, especially by the West. The earlier imagery of Saudi
women, in black Abayas, is now being slowly but surely replaced by women taking
the wheels and going to universities. This certainly has made a huge difference
to Saudi Arabia’s regressive image in the international community. But these
changes will also have a direct impact on the Muslim world too, as Saudi Arabia
is considered as the ideal normative state by many Sunni Muslims. Any change
which emanates from the centre will have consequences for the periphery too.
Woman Driving An Uber Taxi Is The Face Of Real Change
FAISAL AL NASSER/REUTERS
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Beneath the
social reform is the harsh Saudi realisation that in the long run, they will
have to reduce their dependency on oil revenues. With petroleum stocks
depleting and the world moving towards cleaner alternatives, the Saudis will
need to invest heavily in their service sector. As outlined in the Saudi Vision
2030, this is precisely the plan. But a move towards a service economy has
always been accompanied by changes in social and cultural norms. A modern
economy does not go with traditional and medievalist norms. Therefore, cultural
lifestyle and modes of thought must be brought in line with the new political economy.
This is perhaps the most important reason behind the ongoing Saudi reforms.
Another
important geo-political reason has been the normalisation of ties with Israel.
Although the Saudi government is yet to make any such formal move, some
middle-eastern states have already done so which could not have been possible
without Saudi approval.
Partly, the
religious orthodoxy and anti-Jewish feelings arise out of the existing theology
which is taught in Saudi Arabian schools. Not surprisingly, Saudi textbooks
have been full of anti-Semitic hatred, misogynist passages and eulogizing of
concepts like jihad. It seems that now the Saudi authorities have woken up to
the dangers which such texts pose to their own future generations. Recently,
they have made certain important changes in the content of these textbooks.
According to a review of selected textbooks done for 2020-2021 by the Institute
for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se),
these changes seem to be small but nevertheless significant.
The new
Saudi texts have removed the infamous hadith which taught students that a war
between Jews and Muslims was inevitable and in which Muslims will kill all the
Jews. Similarly, a passage which stated that Muslims will kill the Jews on the
Day of Judgment has been removed. The glorification of jihad has also
reportedly been curtailed in the new textbooks. Another problematic passage,
which condemned homosexuality and stated that such people should be punished by
death for the ‘crime of sodomy’ has been removed which certainly represents a
progressive shift towards greater tolerance. However, certain problematic
passages still remain. At many places in these textbooks, Jews and Christians
have been replaced by the more generic ‘enemies of Islam’.
At other
places, these texts continue to remain harsh on polytheism arguing that their
punishment will be severe on the day of resurrection. The presence of such
passages does not augur well for an open and tolerant society, yet the general
thrust of textbook reforms should be welcomed.
Jamal Khashoggi
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While
choices are certainly widening in Saudi Arabia, there is one very crucial
aspect which is being severely controlled. If the Saudis are trying to convince
the wider world that they are genuine in their desire to usher liberalism, then
free expression of political opinion should be the corner stone of such a
policy. However, what we see in Saudi Arabia is the very negation of right to
free and fair expression.
Lujain al-Hathloul, women’s
right activist
-----
Despite the
fact that MBS opened up spaces for women which were hitherto closed for them,
but at the same time, he has also severely punished those very same women who
were in the forefront of demanding such rights. The case of Lujain al-Hathloul particularly stands
out. She had been campaigning for women’s right since nearly a decade but is
now behind prison. Similar is the case with many men and women who were
demanding cultural, social and political reforms. While some like Raif Badawi, after being publically
lashed, are spending their time in jail, others have had to seek asylum in
different countries. The case of Jamal
Khashoggi, who was dismembered for being critical of the Saudi regime,
hardly inspires confidence over the intention of reforms in Saudi Arabia.
Raif Badawi
-----
That
fundamental changes are underway in Saudi Arabia is beyond doubt but these
changes are coming at punishing costs. It appears as if the government is only
interested in a top-down approach which means that it distrusts its own citizen
and civil society’s capacity to reform. Authoritarianism certainly does not go
down well with even the pretence of making a more open and tolerant society.
Sooner or
later, the citizens are going to demand political rights as has been seen in
many other countries during the Arab spring. Perhaps, it is this future
political assertion of its own citizens that Saudi Arabia does not want and
hence any political articulation is being heavily repressed. What the Saudi government
needs to understand is that its state led reforms have already raised the
expectations and aspirations of people and it will be very difficult for the
state to curb them now. The best way forward for the Saudis is to trust their
own people and initiate political reforms along with social and cultural
reforms.
Arshad Alam is a columnist with
NewAgeIslam.com
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/are-saudi-reforms-real/d/124197
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