They say democracy dies in darkness … so can idealism

Sixteen months ago, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that women would have the right to drive. Serendipitously, it also appointed its first woman as a government spokesperson, a post I proudly held for the Saudi Embassy in Washington until a few weeks ago.

As the Embassy Spokesperson, I supported Ambassador Prince Khalid bin Salman in a far more public-facing approach towards engaging the American public, particularly through the press. As I transition back to my previous work in socioeconomic development, I wanted to share a raw perspective about the roller coaster ride I experienced. These are observations government officials typically save for memoirs, but I think we can all use a dose of constructive feedback right about now.

The perspective that I gained this year is not just that of a Saudi, or a woman, or a newly minted communications expert, or a diplomat. I am a native Mississippian. I’m human before any gender designation. I’m not a career diplomat, as my directness will attest. And my background is in development work. It was safe to say, I had a bit of a learning curve taking on this job.

I’m an intellectual by default but also a pragmatist. I realize this is why the Ambassador hired me. I didn’t fit the mold, but he made a bet that someone with my background could engage across the spectrum of opinions that exist on the Kingdom— which is what I did. I met critics and supporters, people with years of experience following Saudi Arabia, and those with only the most superficial prejudices. In each engagement, I sought to help people learn more about Saudi Arabia. In turn, I sought to learn more about Washington, about media, and about how to advance Saudi-U.S. relations.

I never lost my idealism. It is what shuffled me into my first day of work on Sept. 26, 2017, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to report for duty. The truth is I was shaking in my boots. For one, I wasn’t sure how to act around royalty, given my middle-class background. And what did it mean to be a diplomat? Would I have to sugar coat everything? Did I have to say yes, even if I didn’t agree? How was I going to handle the journalists?

Working with royalty proved humbling, not for the reasons one would imagine. My colleagues treated me with more dignity and graciousness than I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing. With the stress of the role, I can’t say I was always capable of reciprocating to the same degree; hence the humbling aspect. And, I was treated as an equal – not only ‘allowed’ to present an opposing view, but expected to do so.

On the day of my appointment, I received as many congratulatory messages as I did of ones saying: ‘I’m praying for you.’ I didn’t understand the reasoning for any prayers until several months into the role. Turns out, I did in fact need those prayers – for patience.

In the world of journalism, I thought I would encounter editors, reporters, anchors and hosts on a quest to uncover the truth — and I did. But too often, I met with media professionals who mistakenly thought they were policy makers or intelligence officials, determined to advance a political objective instead of providing accurate information.

I am not the expert on journalistic ethics. So, I ask this question sincerely: What is the press’s objective?

Is it to be the first to publish, sell, build the consumer base — and then check veracity later? Is it opinion convergence, whereby everyone agrees on what is “truth”? Do journalists still “report out” stories, or do they write their accounts ahead of time and leave room to add the facts as they learn them later?

People say: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. I say: Heavy is the conscience that holds the pen.

Saudi Arabia is not perfect. It never was and never will be. We make mistakes, sometimes horrifically tragic ones, like that of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, God rest his soul. But the Kingdom holds itself to account. When crimes are committed, we investigate them. When we determine who is responsible, we arrest and prosecute them. When we find out our lack of oversight allowed horrible things to happen, we make fundamental changes to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. Many Saudis across various facets of society are still processing Khashoggi’s death. This is the sort of thing people read about in other countries, not our own.

Here is a news flash: no country is a Utopia. This statement is not deflective, apologetic or defensive. It is realist.

Saudi Arabia also has great stories to tell. It is modernizing rapidly. In the last few years, more has been done to provide new economic opportunities, cultural opportunities, educational opportunities than in decades previously. Not every media story about Saudi Arabia should be negative.

Fatimah Baeshan

Perhaps some of that is our fault. For too many years, we did not tell our own story and allowed others to narrate on our behalf, irrespective of truth, which became customary.

Another challenge is that Americans often measure Saudi Arabia according to U.S. history and through distinctly American ideals rooted in theoretical secularism and democracy. The Kingdom has its own values and past, anchored in Islam, tribalism and a monarchy. Neither is right or wrong. Each reflects its culture.

For over a year, I got a front-car view of this roller coaster. I saw journalists, averse to meeting with Saudi officials in broad daylight, chum it up behind closed dining-room doors at night, and then make absurd comparisons of the Kingdom’s leadership to movies they once watched. I’ve sat fuming in my office after having spent hours on calls with journalists, only to find my commentary sliced and diced into a pre-written story that included no reflection of the facts I relayed. I’ve been cornered with impossible deadlines and quoted out of context – on and off the record. I’ve seen pages of outright lies substantiated with “anonymous sources,” written by people who could not even point out Saudi Arabia on the map, much less take the time to visit the country. All to build a Twitter following and base, fueled by false reporting on what they touted as the hottest story in town.

Does such behavior do honor to the sacred institution of journalism and the preservation of freedom of speech – a right timelessly enshrined in the Constitution? Has it always been this way, and I just didn’t get the memo on my first day as Spokesperson? Is journalism an institutional discipline, or only a cat and mouse game, and ultimately a business?

I cite the First Amendment because it is the stick so many in this arena self-righteously use to beat Saudi Arabia, without any context or space for cultural differences. The reality is every society draws a line when it comes to free speech, and rightfully so, whether by public opinion, congressional policy, or royal order. The recent troubles of Kathy Griffin, Facebook and the Saudi royal who attacked a local soccer player with a racist comment all serve as examples.

I feel proud to be someone who appreciates the best of both worlds — the warmth, hospitality, traditions, and society-focus of Saudi culture, and the critical thinking, process-oriented, outspokenness, and individualism ingrained by an American education system. When juxtaposed, our societies have far more similarities than differences. As a by-product of the Deep South, I can say we both deal with segregation. We both have a mass middle conservative base. We both struggle to thwart terrorism, which is defined by violence – whether committed by an ISIS suicide bomber or an American mass shooter or the KKK – and not by the ideology, the skin color, religion or geography of the perpetrator.

The truth is we are more alike than not. We both can do better as nations. I know Saudi Arabia will do better. The Kingdom is asking tough questions of itself, so that it improves, but others should make an effort to understand it. That doesn’t mean we need positive or negative depictions – our aim is not a perfect portrait; just an accurate one. As I step off this ride, I remain idealistic. And I hope those who hold the pen will present a more objective portrayal of the news. Far more than Saudi Arabia is at stake.