The public has finally got what it wanted. Discussions and debates in the Shoura Consultative Council are now broadcast every Thursday on national television. Sadly, after watching last week’s session on Saudi Arabian Television Channel One, I said to myself: “It is true what they say: You should be careful of what you wish for because you might get it.”
It did not take me more than ten minutes to realize what was going on. Since this was the first public broadcast of the Shoura, most members wanted to be TV stars.
Instead of the usual heated debates and sometimes respectful disagreements, what I saw was an artificial performance. Most Shoura members were either trying to appear at their best in their bishts — the robe worn over the thobe on special occasions — knowing they were on air, or trying to impress the viewers with philosophical comments that in general had nothing to do with the topic discussed but only illustrated the speaker’s good command of Arabic. A show. People acting. That is what it all boiled down to.
I guess the only thing left is to hire makeup artists and beauticians to make sure the members look their best on the air. I will not, however, find fault with all Shoura members. That would be unfair. Some members whom I recognized and whom I respect did not seem to care much if the session were broadcast or not. To them it was all the same. They participated as they usually do in discussions, without giving any extra attention to their appearance. They did not care if the camera zoomed in on them speaking without their bishts, just wearing an ordinary thobe or that their headdress was slightly awry. To them, attending the Shoura sessions and participating as a member is a national duty, not a chance to look cool on TV. They know that our leaders have chosen them to represent the Saudi public in discussions. And they know the amount of responsibility that comes with that.
Their voices are those of every Saudi in our country, male or female, young or old, rich or poor. Every week, they attend, hear and participate as loyal citizens. They act with compassion, not fearing to speak their minds even on the most sensitive issues.
To those members, I say thank you. Thank you for not acting and for being what our leaders want you to be: yourselves.
Over the past year, I attended several weekly Shoura discussions. As a listener, I tried to be as neutral as possible and saw the discussions that took place on the floor first hand. Perhaps one of the most heated debates I witnessed was the session where the differences in opinions regarding granting citizenship to non-Saudis were expressed openly and clearly. Members spoke candidly without any fear of censorship of any kind. Conservatives and liberals battled it out, each stating his opinion in a respectful environment. The exchange was well-organized. For a moment, I thought I was actually seeing a debate in the British Parliament rather than in the Saudi Shoura Council.
What I fear now is that with sessions being broadcast on TV, many of the outspoken people in the Shoura will refrain from making bold comments or speaking their minds, fearing they will be scolded by some individuals for expressing opinions that are not popular everywhere. From that angle, maybe it was better that the discussions in both National Forums for Dialogue that took place in Riyadh and Madinah were not broadcast. We certainly do not want actors talking about critical subjects such as the importance of unity, citizenship, and the need to revaluate our school curriculum.
There is, however, one important thing we can learn from the Shoura being broadcast. It will enable us to distinguish the actors from the non-actors. And with municipality elections coming up, that experience will eventually pave the way for elections to the Shoura Council. We can see it clearly and we can decide for ourselves who is the best candidate and who is only an actor.
