JEDDAH, 7 August 2005 — Two leading Muslim scholars express optimism about the coming era of reform in the Kingdom and say they expect meaningful change to come in a slow, deliberate manner.
The two scholars, Sheikh Hasan Al-Saffar, from the Eastern Province, and Mohsen Al-Awajy, from Riyadh, both took part in the National Dialogues, a series of conferences seeking common ground about the Kingdom’s future.
Al-Saffar said the reform process began with the holding of National Dialogues and the formation of the National Society for Human Rights and the first balloting in municipal elections. “The next stage will witness activation of these initiatives on the road to reform,” he said.
Al-Saffar said he thought reform would neither be swift nor dramatic. “That is not how Saudi policy works, as it always goes through a deliberate, gradual process,” he said.
Al-Awajy agreed with Al-Saffar’s perspective.
“I don’t think that there is going to be any radical change in the reform path,” he said. “King Abdullah is well-known to counsel a number of people.”
When the question of religious minorities within the Kingdom was posed, Al-Saffar said: “There aren’t any religious minorities in the Kingdom. All citizens of Saudi Arabia are Muslims, thank God. They belong to different ‘madahib’ (schools of religious thought) whether Sunni or Shia. Some of the followers of certain Islamic schools, however, complain of abuses of their religious rights as well as some of their civil rights.”
Al-Saffar attributes past abuses to “inaccurate practices from certain parties who monopolize religious representation to them and want to cancel the others’ (representation).”
Al-Awajy said that all citizens should have equal rights, but the country needs a fresh start. “People who suffered in the past from inequalities should not to be given compensation or privileges in exchange for whatever discrimination they faced,” Al-Awajy said. “Start anew, and assure all citizens their rights.”
It’s a start he said that has already been made.
“King Abdullah’s initiation in holding the National Dialogue was to resolve this condition,” Al-Saffar said. “King Abdullah stated clearly in his speech that his goal is to achieve justice and serve all citizens without discrimination.” “We are all sons of this country and partners in constructing and defending it,” he added.
The Shiite scholar said there needed to be methods in place to ensure that concerns expressed in the National Dialogue would result in actions being taken.
Without such measures, he said, “it will merely be a cultural gathering that lacks the ability to face a severe problem from which the country and its citizens suffer — intentional discrimination between its citizens.”
Both see the nation’s new king as a wise ruler committed to positive changes. “From King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, we can hope and trust for every public good,” Al-Saffar said.
“Saudi Arabia will build the channels to encourage freedom of speech,” Al-Awajy said. “We want the government to initiate reforms but don’t want it to go ahead without proper planning,” he added.
