JEDDAH, 20 March 2005 — Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, former deputy chairman of the Shoura Council and former secretary-general of Muslim World League, has said that women driving is not un-Islamic and could be introduced in the Kingdom gradually, beginning with cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh.
In an interview with Arab News, Naseef also said that Saudi Arabia’s reform programs were going well and he described the municipal elections as a good beginning. “Next time, there will be elections to regional councils and the Shoura Council. We don’t know when but they will come,” he said.
Referring to the newly amended Naturalization Law that allows expatriates who have been living in the Kingdom for more than 10 years to apply for Saudi citizenship, Dr. Naseef said priority would be given to those who have been here for decades and whose families are divided as well as to professionals required by the country.
Dr. Naseef, who is also vice chairman of the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center, emphasized the important place of women in Islam. “Women enjoyed equal participation in every field in the early days of Islam. Later people drifted away from Islamic teachings and denied women their basic rights but that should not be blamed on Islam,” he said.
“Depriving women of their rights should not be allowed. At the same time, women should be aware of religious teachings and should not behave in an un-Islamic way. Some things are indeed un-Islamic and create problems. These problems are present in the West which did not realize their danger until it was too late. We don’t want the same thing to happen here,” he added.
Dr. Naseef continued, “The participation of women in elections, their membership of the Shoura and other things such as driving will come gradually. People are afraid that if they allow women to drive, it will create confusion but a gradual introduction is possible in order to avoid problems. It may not be a problem in Jeddah or even in Riyadh. In other areas, it may cause unnecessary confusion and dissatisfaction.”
“There is nothing in Islam that prevents women from driving,” he added.
Dr. Naseef downplayed the poor turnout of voters in the nationwide municipal elections. “In the course of time, more people will register and take part in voting. People usually are reluctant and busy with their own affairs. The next elections will be better in every sense,” he said.
About the national dialogue initiated by Crown Prince Abdullah two years ago, he said it was aimed at promoting a culture of dialogue, respecting the views and ideas of other people. Asked about the recommendations passed by the forums, he said implementation would take time. “People want their recommendations to be implemented immediately. It’s not practical. Some have already been implemented, but some may take years,” he pointed out.
He said the next dialogue would be entitled, “We and Others,” adding that it would be convened in six months.
“We are not living in an isolated world and the next dialogue will focus on what our behavior and reaction should be to others, including non-Muslims. A number of seminars and conferences will be held as part of the dialogue,” he added.
Dr. Naseef, who was Shoura Council vice chairman for eight years, refused to call the 120-member Shoura a consultative body. “It’s a parliament in the sense that it drafts and approves laws, treaties and other things. The only difference is that its members are not elected and there are no parties. Saudi Arabia does not believe in parties because they create division rather than unity,” he explained.
He said the group’s discussions, the way laws are passed and the voting system are similar to those of any parliament in the world.
“There was no government intervention in our work. The government endorses all the laws that are passed by the Shoura. There are certain cases in which the Shoura rejected a law passed by the government and the government looked at that opinion and revised the law,” he said.
He said even if elections are held to the Shoura, measures could be taken to ensure its smooth performance without violating the Shariah. “Elections are required to satisfy others so we should go for elections — full or 50 percent or whatever the percentage,” he said.
Naseef underscored the continuous development of the Shoura in introducing positive changes. “This is a healthy sign. For example, when the Shoura was formed 10 years ago, Shoura members had to seek the permission of the king to introduce or change a law. Now they don’t need that approval. You can pass any law and present it to the government,” he pointed out.
Banning Islamic charity organizations for the wrongdoings of certain individuals was unfair, he said and urged Islamic charities to stand together to overcome their present crisis.
At the same, he urged charitable organizations to clear their records and introduce transparency and accountability. “This will strengthen the credibility of our organizations and remove suspicions,” he added.
Speaking about the Saudization program, he said the Kingdom would require foreign labor to implement its five-year development programs.
Total Saudization will not be possible for the next 20 to 30 years. The ongoing drive to nationalize jobs will not affect skilled expatriate workers, he added.
