The latest Cabinet reshuffle must have involved months of critical planning, and it indicates a determination to confront the challenges that have slowed the Kingdom’s progress and development.
Saudis feel very optimistic with the newly appointed ministers and government officials who have shown obvious leadership skills in their previous positions. Many feel a sense of relief to finally see appointed officials who possess a progressive mindset and a capacity to recognize the obstacles standing in the way of a better future. These leaders are now entrusted with the task of shaping the minds of many who are clinging to old customs and traditions unrelated to our Islamic beliefs and who remain reluctant to change and modernize, preventing the society from implementing speedy and successful reforms.
Many citizens welcome the new blood in the Council of Senior Scholars. The long-awaited demand to include new scholars familiar with different schools of Islamic thought will usher in a new era of tolerance and allow for a moderate interpretation of Islam and acceptance of the other. The moderate officials in the Council of Senior Scholars are expected to be more in tune with the social and economic realities and more aware of the political and global developments that affect our lives.
The world is going through economic crises, and our region is plagued with war and conflict. Therefore, it is crucial that we appoint Muslim scholars who are more globally informed and can be relied upon to issue new fatwas when necessity demands and wisely guide the Muslim Ummah through times of crisis or dispute.
Indeed, the decision to replace the hard-liners in the judiciary and in the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice who adhered to a rigid interpretation of Islam has been well received by Saudi citizens. There have been many complaints and public criticism against them, and the media have reported many cases of their abuse of authority. The whole society has suffered from their intolerance and extreme policies. These hard-liners have been instrumental in isolating our society from the rest of the global community and have portrayed Saudis to be extremists, labeling us as a nation that is exporting terrorism around the Muslim world. There is now hope and a renewed determination to achieve greater success and harmony. Another reason for Saudis to have more faith in their leadership is the concerted efforts toward educational reforms. There is no doubt that the government has recognized that education is the key to enlightenment. It has allocated large sums toward educational reforms, and it continues to seek expert advice from international institutions to provide our youth access to quality education.
The leader who has been chosen to implement these vital reforms is Minister of Education Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed. He has been working diligently for the past three years toward developing a new educational strategy that will bless this country with a knowledge-based society. Prince Faisal, chairman of the Al-Aghar strategic think-tank group, sought the expertise of Saudi and foreign academics who conducted research and held workshops that debated policies and addressed the obstacles that stand in the way of providing quality education for our youth. A man with such dedication and determination certainly will put the allocated SR9-billion education budget to good use. He certainly will be supported by the many experts in the field who have been working with him to implement these much-needed reforms. As a prince and as a minister he will command the power to confront the extremist forces who dominated the education sector and rejected the government’s political decision to reform.
Prince Faisal will be aided by an equally progressive leader, Faisal bin Abdul Rahman Al-Muammar who has been appointed as the deputy minister of education. Al-Muammar was also tested in his former position, as the secretary-general of the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center in which he has engaged all sectors of society to discuss many of our social ills and create a national consensus to counter the dominant social trend resisting change. Al-Muammar has conducted many workshops across the Kingdom to debate progressive ideas and trends, such as the integration of women into the work force, the negative aspects of child marriages, youth empowerment and similar subjects that will allow Saudi Arabia to modernize and progress toward a more prosperous lifestyle while remaining respectful to our religious beliefs.
The appointment of Nora bint Abdullah Al-Fayez, the first woman as deputy education minister, is also a positive development. Women across the Kingdom are celebrating the fact that finally the ban has been lifted on women taking leading posts as decision-makers. For many years, the policy of excluding women and marginalizing their role was one of the major issues that kept the society behind and frustrated many educated and qualified Saudi women who represent 50 percent of the population. This negative policy also has projected a distorted image of Saudi and Muslim women across the globe.
It is about time that the Saudi leadership showed more confidence in women with qualifications and professional capabilities. Women in this country are quite offended for not being allowed to share their expertise. That they have no say in government decisions that affect their lives also offends them. Many remain disappointed with the appointment of only one woman as a minister. It was hoped that more would be included in the Shoura Council or the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or other leadership positions. Nevertheless, lifting the ban on the employment of women in leadership positions is still a good start that may open the door for more positions to follow. The bold and brave decision to implement major judicial and educational reforms and the appointment of forward-thinking officials has restored public confidence and demonstrated King Abdullah’s will to lead his country to a more prosperous future.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist. She can be reached at [email protected].
