Recently I was asked to give a presentation at the Brookings Foundation in Washington. The event was sponsored by the Women In International Security (WIIS) and the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry as part of an outreach program to foster Saudi-US relations.
It was a real privilege to be able to speak at such a prestigious foundation and to be given the opportunity to present a more accurate picture of Saudi Arabia in order to clear any misconceptions that still exist in the minds of the American public today.
I would like to extend my deep appreciation to Women In International Security for giving me the opportunity and for honoring me with a complimentary membership in the organization. The gesture was a reflection of a genuine desire to create a better understanding between the Saudi people and the think-tanks of the United States.
The audience consisted of representatives of Washington-based human rights and democracy-minded organizations. As a radio journalist, I appreciated the opportunity to speak to influential Americans and the framers of US foreign policy.
In my presentation, I spoke about Saudi public opinion and reiterated that Saudis hold no animosity toward the United States. However, I was disappointed by a report published later by C&O Resources that ignored both the objective of my presentation and the main focus of my argument, which was Saudi Arabian security concerns, the importance of US support to restore peace in a turbulent Middle East, and the urgency to end conflicts in the region that are not in the interest of the US or Saudi Arabia.
In my presentation, I gave an optimistic report on Saudi reforms in order to portray a more accurate picture of Saudi Arabia than the one that is constantly presented by American media and to stress the various initiatives that are progressing. The contradictory C&O report states that I made no mention of religious leaders in the region who are resistant to reform and criticized Christian religious leaders for targeting Islam, but at the same time quotes me as saying that "the silent liberal majority has allowed the extremists in the country to wield too much power for too long. This trend is being reversed by government efforts to shun extremism through national dialogue."
The report also says that I didn't elaborate on the nature of the Saudi-US partnership. The partnership I was referring to was described throughout my speech - partnership "to bring regional peace and global opportunities. The Arab-Israeli conflict and the situation in Iraq and the threat of terrorism as well as the rise of extremism are obstacles to peace and prosperity in the Arab world. Failure to address these issues will expose the whole world to more terror and global insecurity."
I also mentioned that to deny support to the reform movement in Saudi Arabia or to work against it could mean a lost opportunity to win the war on terror.
The report was also critical of the lack of enthusiasm for US efforts to promote democracy in Iraq. Unfortunately the optimistic American view is not shared by the people of the region who believe that what is happening in Iraq is barbaric and what Iraqis need is peace and stability rather than forced democratization.
We continue to pray for the people of Iraq and wish them all the best.
During the question-and-answer session, the subject of the trial of the Saudi reformers was discussed. I thought I was very clear in my answers that the trial is still going on and is continuously covered by the Saudi press and that my opinion about their demands for a constitutional government were premature - simply because the country is not ready for it, and we do not have the political maturity to make it work.
Finally, I find it sad that the report described our security concerns and our demands for US partnership to bring about regional peace as being schizophrenic. I am also disappointed by its failure to recognize the negative impact of US policies in the region.
However, despite its prediction of bumpy relations between the US and Saudi Arabia, I was heartened by the welcome Crown Prince Abdullah received recently in the US, and I remain hopeful of better relations and a genuine partnership to bring peace and prosperity to the region.
As a proud new member of Women In International Security, I will continue to speak, lecture and write about efforts to foster friendships and peaceful coexistence between different cultures. Moreover, I strongly believe that women can play an important role in ending conflicts and achieving international security to save our world.
