Saudi Arabia Amidst Reforms

Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander

Saudi Arabia is the front of Islam that is the home to its two holiest shrines. Muslims have a very deep reverence for this land. It is a citadel of everything related to Islam and Muslims. The hereditary, autocratic and monarchial family of Sauds has been ruling the holy land in the aftermath of balkanization of Ottoman empire. They even prefixed the land of Arabia with their clan name of Sauds, thus was born the Saudi Arabia. The monarchs prefer to call themselves as custodians of Holy shrines of Islam. The monarchs were helped by Wahabi-Salafist scholars to consolidate their power. They used to justify every move of these monarchs as being synonymous to the interests of Islam. They had a vested interest in legitimizing the religious and political policies of monarchs of Saud because they used to draw hefty amounts of funding for playing that role and dividing the Muslim society between inclusivists and exclusivists. The Salafist brand of Islam is very intolerant of the rich syncretic, plural, shared cultural and religious practices of different Muslim societies. The Salafi preachers brand everyone who disagrees with them as deviated from the true message of Islam. The Shias were a particular target of these Salafist scholars and preachers. It had a context and background as the AyatullahKhomeni’s revolution of 1979 in Iran inspired a generation of Muslims worldwide, though it had its own serious limitations. But the revolutionary zeal of Iran and its influence particularly in Middle East had to be curbed, thus Salafists came quite handy to carryout the dirty work.

Besides Salafists other two pillars of family of Saud are United States of America and Israel. They have helped the family stay in power with the promise that oil will be shelled out to them at throw away prices. The Salafists had maintained a strict control over the socio-religious lives of Saudi Muslims leaving the political aspects to be dealt by the monarchy. The retrogressive Salafists are patriarchal and misogynist in their worldview and are abhorrent to democracy, women rights and freedom of expression.

So what has changed in the political and social spectrum of Saudi Arabia that media is abuzz with its news? The political spectrum of Saudi Arabia remains status quoist though a change of guard has happened with the usurp of power by young prince Muhammad bin Salman aka MbS. He has joined the ruling clique with a false Lutherian zeal to invoke reforms on gender rights particularly. But allowing Saudi women right to drive, participate in sports, get access to physical education, let women completely handle the municipality of holy city of Medina, allowing musical concerts, lifting bans on cinemas are not revolutionary steps that should lead one to be deceived to the extent of calling MbS as a feminist. The guardianship rules, patriarchy, child marriages and polygamy alongwith feasibility of divorce for men still are existing realities that render these initiatives as artificial grafting that will soon wane away.

These initiatives were not taken because MbS is a reformer but just to consolidate his power as most of the Saudi population is under 29 and is getting impatient with the pace of change. Further his “Vision 2030” plan is a result of fall in oil price during the last three years and vast deficits of Saudi Arabia have demonstrated that those states who have relied on oil economies and incomes will not be able to assume a constant income. So MbS wants to attract foreign investment that includes diversification of Saudi leisure industry and promoting Saudi as a tourist destination under the ambit of Red Sea Project. Also Saudi needs money to bolster its economy thus the discourse about women rights and issues. Further Saudi Arabia has been elected in 2017 to U.N Women’s Rights Commission for a four-year term. Thus these changes were inevitable.

The way masses and extended family of Saud from whom MbS snatched power are resentful towards him, these measures were needed for diversion of attention. Also when driving and participation of women in public life is considered an inevitable part of a healthy society, the regressive policy of Saudi regime had to go if not now but surely soon. The public pressure and world context would surely have paved way for the reforms.

The United States of America has dictated to Saudi that they should speed up the process of efforts to counter radicalization. Uncle Sam has been on the forefront of radicalization of Muslims during cold war as most of the syllabus, textbooks and curriculum for madrasas operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan was prepared under the tutelage of university of Nebraska. The hate filled curriculum still prevails in most madrasas and when these cadres have become a threat to its progenitor (U.S) and ally (Saudi) they are now defining the contours of De radicalization and return to moderate Islam. The hydra headed radicalization will not be tackled by the cosmetic efforts of MbS. Now when MbS has cracked whip over the moral police and Salafi preachers, many of whom have been arrested for opposing his policies, the radicalization, resentment and resistance against the regime will grow further and he will be opposed vehemently as he is undermining the authority of Salafist preachers and Ulama.

The political policies of MbS are no different than his predecessors as he continues the war in Yemen that has already taken a heavy human toll. The freedom of expression, periodic elections and democracy are still a distant dream for common Saudis because Uncle Sam does not find the need for democracy or liberation of women in Saudi Arabia.

The socio-religious efforts of MbS are in no way revolutionary, but cosmetic and dictated by economic preferences. Unless a strong social movement for democracy, human and women rights does not take root in Saudi Arabia the top down and legal approach of reform will be met with a little success. These ‘reforms’ have to be looked at with a critical eye than being commemorated or celebrated as a triumph of universal rights of humans.

M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir.