To those demanding reform but who feel frustrated as their calls fall on deaf ears, I say don’t lose hope or give up. It is quite natural for people to reject new ideas and, for this reason, reform never takes place in a hurry. You have to allow people time to adjust and accept the kind of changes they have not previously been exposed to.
Reading the history of reform movements, it becomes clear that most of them not only met initial rejection, but were also ridiculed and vehemently opposed. Over time, however, a small group of people accepted the new ideas and gradually the influence would spread to more and more groups in society. What is rejected today will constitute an indispensable part of people’s lives tomorrow.
New ideas always clash with deep-rooted convictions because people resist anything they think seeks to change the kind of life they have been used to. To confront the new idea or suggestion, people resort to talking about what they have long accepted as “prevailing social values and norms” as they fight against any attempt to force something on them from outside. It is not only social values that are used in this fight but religion as well. The line separating tradition from religion gets even thinner and, in many cases, the prevailing customs and traditions come ahead of religion. In a society such as ours, people usually side with tradition at the expense of religion. Take for example the tribal categorization that classifies society into groups, starting from the top moving down. We all know that those at the top will not consider marriage with those at the bottom even though the latter may be more righteous.
The history of the Kingdom provides a number of examples of how reform has been difficult at the beginning but has gradually taken hold with society ultimately accepting what it earlier rejected. Throughout the Kingdom’s development process during which major strides have been achieved in various areas, people have used both social values and religion in fighting reform. Women’s education is the best example here. Those who strongly opposed sending girls to school yesterday lead the campaign today in support of girls’ education and employment.
The younger generation of Saudis may not be aware that at one time, there were a large number of people in this country who opposed the telephone, radio, television and even bicycles when they appeared here for the first time. What happens in the Kingdom happens in other countries of the world, albeit in different stages and at different paces. Life would cease to exist in the absence of change. The advocates of reform should therefore not worry or seek to push things.
