I have spent more than a quarter of a century in Saudi journalism as both a supervisor and columnist. In my time working in the media I have never ever known about any secret arrangements made between one newspaper and another about what should and should not be published. Nor have I ever known about a secret understanding between one columnist and another about what and what not to write about. In fact, in most newspapers there tend to be so many staff members that some columnists and reporters in a single newspaper might not even know or be acquainted with each other.
There is only one known system and code of ethics applied to a newspaper in dealing with reporters and columnists. Of course, there are professional standards that newspapers need to maintain and there are red lines that people are never allowed to cross. These are facts that everyone knows about like the back of their hands. So I really wonder where Dr. Saad Al-Buraik came up with the idea of a secret organization? It seems that centuries ago a concept was spread among the youth that there are certain sacred and infallible people who can never be criticized. This is a view that is widespread in certain sections of the community.
When the Saudi media were recently given certain freedoms, various television channels began discussing a range of opinions and viewpoints. In this environment, the younger generation became surprised to learn that criticism and dialogue in the Saudi media did not exclude any of those faultless people whose sacredness and sanctity they were raised up to believe in.
The natural, logical, rational and convincing answers that can harmonize our religious beliefs and national interests are easy to understand and widely available. But there are people who wish to avoid the truth or deliberately try to be blind to maintain the old theory of sacredness and infallibility in the minds of our youths. They create illusionary enemies to fight. Once the enemies were secularists, then it was the immoral liberals, then they were responding to foreign pressures and now they are supposedly countering secret organizations and so on.
According to the viewpoint of these people, society is thus divided into two camps. On the one hand, there are the people of “good deeds” who value the idea of sacredness and reject dialogue and criticism. On the other hand, the second group includes “rebels” that include critics and people that seek dialogue.
The truth that needs to be explained to our younger generation is the one our religion emphasized and the one that serves our national interest. The truth indicates that no human being is sacred except for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Everyone must realize that all ministries and public sectors are equal when it comes to criticism because their employees are human and no human is infallible.
For instance, Saudis working in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs are the same Saudis working in the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Saudis employed in the Commission of Supervision and Investigation are the same Saudis working in the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. And likewise the same is applicable to all other sectors and departments.
Employees are human beings and humans make mistakes. Reporters and columnists make mistakes too and discussion programs on television present both the good and the bad. Then why does the Ministry of Health, for instance, or any other ministry at that feel that there is a secret organization behind the everyday criticism that is directed at them and which exposes their mistakes? Why do certain sectors and certain people feel this way? Don’t you think that these mysterious interpretations raise questions?
Being loyal to our religion then our country and then our leaders oblige us to enlighten the youth not to shut their minds and let somebody else think for them. The young generation must realize that religion is united, the Kingdom is united, the purpose is united, and that their only way to civilization and advancement is dialogue and criticism.
