JEDDAH, 10 March 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday officially approved the recently-established human rights watchdog, the first in the Kingdom, and pledged its support for the 41-member organization.
“I received today a letter from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, in which he approved our request to set up the organization,” Dr. Abdullah Al-Obaid, president of the National Human Rights Association said.
“The NHRA’s main task will be the protection of human rights,” Al-Obaid said, adding that the Riyadh-based organization would work in accordance with Shariah and the country’s Basic Governing System.
Al-Obaid, a member of the consultative Shoura Council, and other members of the association earlier met with Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, who also gave his blessing to the organization.
“He told us we would receive all the support we need from the parties concerned,” the AFP news agency quoted Al-Obaid as saying.
Political science professor Abdul Khalek Abdul Hay, one of about 20 who met Prince Abdullah, said the group had explained its covenant to the crown prince, “who wished us success in our task.”
Noura Al-Jomaih, one of the 10 female members, said last week that redressing the injustices inflicted on Saudi women would be high on the association’s agenda.
The Kingdom has announced plans to set up a government rights body as part of its ongoing political reforms.
The association’s bylaws permit it to open branch offices abroad. It will also cooperate with international rights organizations and stand against injustice, despotism, violence, torture and intolerance.
“It will receive complaints related to human rights violations and pursue them with related agencies,” the bylaw states. It will also present its views and proposals to government agencies to protect human rights.
The association’s members are: Dr. Ibrahim Al-Qaeed, Dr. Abubakar Baqader, Dr. Ahmad Saifuddin Turkistani, Dr. Ahmad Yahya Al-Bahkali, Ismail Sajeeni, Dr. Bandar Al-Hejar, Dr. Baheeja Baha Ezzi, Suraya bint Abid Sheikh, Dr. Jowhara Al-Anqari, Dr. Habeeb Al-Motairy, Hejab ibn Muhammad Al-Hazimi, Dr. Hussein Al-Sharief, Dr. Hamad Al-Majed, Dr. Khaled Al-Hamoud, Dr. Rashid Al-Mubarak, Dr. Saad Al-Ghamdi, Dr. Suhaila Zainul Abideen Hammad, Dr. Saleh Al-Shuraida, Dr. Saleh Al-Khathlan, Dr. Abdul Jaleel Al-Saif, Dr. Abdul Khalek Abdul Hay, Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Qadeb, Dr. Abdul Qader Tash, Abdul Mohsen Al-Akkas, Dr. Abdullah Al-Laheedan, Abdullah Abu Al-Samh, Dr. Othman Al-Rawwaf, Dr. Ali Al-Hekami, Dr. Omar Hafez, Dr. Mufleh Al-Qahtani, Dr. Lubna bint Abdul Rahman Al-Ansari, Dr. Muhammad Al-Fadel, Dr. Muhammad Al-Aufi, Dr. Muhammad Al-Qarri, Noura bint Hamad Al-Jomaih, Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al-Yousuf, Dr. Noura bint Abdullah Al-Ajlan, Dr. Hana bint Muhammad Al-Mutlak and Dr. Wafa Mahmoud Taiba.
The association’s nine-member executive council members are: Abdullah Al-Obaid (president), Bandar Al-Hejar (vice president), Ibrahim Al-Qaeed, Abubakar Baqader, Ahmad Bahkali, Jowhara Al-Anqari, Suhaila Hammad, Abdul Khalek Abdul Hay and Lubna Al-Ansari.
