JEDDAH, 25 May 2007 — Many Saudis, including human rights activists and lawyers, welcomed the report that was recently released by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) detailing human rights violations in the Kingdom.
“Being heavily involved in social issues, I was thrilled to read in detail the first report to be published by a human rights body in Saudi Arabia,” said Fouziah Al-Ouni, a Dammam-based social activist. She added that the report represented a crucial shift in enhancing the understanding and awareness of human rights in Saudi society.
“The report sums up the suffering of at least two generations. The adversity might affect a third generation if the report’s recommendations aren’t implemented immediately,” said Al-Ouni.
The NSHR report tackled human rights issues in the Kingdom, which included violations of the rights of women, prisoners and workers as well as injustices in law courts, discrimination against non-Saudis and forced confessions from those detained by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
The report further noted that domestic violence had reached an alarming level and called for an end to the requirement of male guardians for women and the need for male approval in all matters involving women.
Lawyer Khalid Al-Motairy said that the report is a positive, if not belated, move. “The NSHR didn’t have a very effective role when it was first established...It needs to build a better network and communicate effectively with the media to increase awareness of human rights,” he said.
Concerning the issue of unequal job opportunities, Zahra Abdu, a struggling 29-year-old woman, was optimistic having heard of the recommendations and hoped to land a good job sometime soon. “My mother is married to a non-Saudi. My brothers have Saudi nationality and they are given better job offers. I have the special ID card that is supposed to facilitate my legal and official procedures within the country as a Saudi,” said Zahra.
“My job applications are always rejected because I am treated as a non-Saudi even though I have a bachelor’s degree from King Abdul Aziz University,” she said. An employer once even told her that she ought to marry a Saudi man, obtain Saudi citizenship and only then would he be able to employ her with a good salary.
Taha Al-Safi, a 25-year-old systems analyst at Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, said that the first step toward progress and development is to recognize one’s shortcomings and then plan to overcome them. “Failing to do so, as we have in the past decades, resulted in us being overwhelmed as individuals by the unfairness around us and becoming secluded in our own country,” he said.
“It has become the norm that we accept such injustices, degrade women and look down on foreigners,” he added. “I feel bad about human rights violations in my country, but efforts like those of the NSHR that shed some light on the truth is always refreshing and inspiring for a better future.”
Arab News contacted some NSHR members, but they refused to speak about the report.
An Arabic newspaper reported yesterday that NSHR President Bandar Al-Hajjar confirmed that the organization would make the report available to the Shoura Council and other government bodies and ministries concerned. He added that the NSHR expects to receive both positive feedback from some of the ministries and action in tackling the violations mentioned in the report.
“The NSHR shouldn’t be content with publishing the report and then archiving it,” said Walid Al-Hilal, a columnist writing in the Al-Yaum newspaper. “It has to outline and execute an extensive media plan to make the most of issuing such a study.” Umm Yousra, a 47-year-old single mother of six daughters, said she repeatedly suffers from the current system of male guardianship.
Umm Yousra has a sister who is a widow and one brother. “I was surprised and relieved to read the report, especially the bit concerning male guardianship,” she said. “But words are easily written. What’s going to happen? Is the report going to change anything?”
