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Dear members of the list,
Assalamu Alaikum.Please see the piece below. I do not
understand why a part of religious leadership in Saudi Arabia is so rigid,
why cant they understand that Islam allows differences of opinion within
the limits of Qati ( decisive ) texts and change should be accepted
within those limits ?
However, there is no real divide betwwen Islamists and
liberals. Most of the liberals in Saudi Arabia are also Islamists who are
for change where necessary and permissible.
Shah Abdul Hannan
Author: Donna Abu-nasr
Dated: 04/16/2006
82-year-old king opening dialogue and ending taboos RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The all-black abayas have splashes of bold, glittery color. The book fair opened its doors to once-banned books. And stuffy government-run TV stations have started to play music, forbidden for decades.
In the seven months since Saudi Arabia's new monarch, King Abdullah, took the throne, there have been small but striking signs that he is leading his country toward more openness.
"He wants to turn this nation from a one-way country, in which conservatives have the upper hand, into a two-way state, where both liberals and Islamists can express themselves," Saudi analyst Dawood al-Shirian said.
No one expects Abdullah's ride to be smooth, though. He needs to keep the reform momentum going despite reported differences within the royal family over the pace and direction of change.
In addition, he must worry about militants still active in Saudi Arabia. The Feb. 24 attack in which suicide bombers tried, but failed, to get past the perimeter of the world's largest oil processing facility was a reminder of the harm radicals could still inflict.
Islamists are expected to create trouble because of the perceived dilution of their power as more voices are allowed to be heard.
The March book fair is an example. For the first time, female writers met their fans, shoppers bought formerly banned books dealing with communism, sex and other delicate topics, and families went together during newly designated family days. In previous years, the fair was a male-only event, with a few half-days set aside for women.
Powerful message "King Abdullah sent a powerful message during the book fair that indicated that everyone, and not only the religious establishment, will be involved in decision-making," al-Shirian said.
But the event was marred by the aggressive, organized presence of religious extremists who previously had monopolized such occasions. They ordered two female authors to cover their faces as they signed books for their fans. They demanded that salesmen refrain from discussing books with female shoppers or smiling at them. And they got so raucous during a panel featuring the country's reformist information minister that the discussion on censorship was cut short.
Abdullah, 82, became king in August after the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. Although he had been de facto ruler since 1995, when Fahd suffered a stroke, Abdullah always was seen as an acting leader, his authority undermined by other centers of power.
Now, however, Abdullah is the country's undisputed leader and one of its most popular.
"He's a people's man," said Sarah, a 21-year-old university student whose face broke into a smile when she heard his name.
The country already is feeling the effects of the lighter atmosphere Abdullah has brought.
Along with the music new to government-run TV, female journalists now can interview men, appearing on the same set despite the country's strict gender-segregation rules.
Encouraging dialogue Abdullah also is encouraging dialogue among various sectors of society. A few months ago, a public discussion among representatives of minority groups was televised live, allowing Saudis to hear little-heard views including those of Shiites, who are considered heretics by the harsh Wahhabi stream of Islam the country follows.
On the streets of Riyadh, red, purple and yellow desert flowers are now found on black abayas, the cloaks women must wear in public.
A few months ago, most of the cloaks in Riyadh were unadorned, conforming to the strict guidelines laid out by the religious establishment. Now, however, images of peacocks, crowns or a woman's children are embroidered on the cloaks.
Abdullah set the tone for his rule when in his first act as king he freed three intellectuals and two teachers jailed for their reformist views. He then gave Saudis their first raise in 22 years and banned the kissing of his hand and addressing of him as "majesty." He also allowed women to run and vote in their first elections, the chamber of commerce polls.
The king also is believed to be keeping tabs on how the government is spending large sums and trying to cut spending by the extended members of the royal family, part of his focus on improving the economy and lowering unemployment.
Posted April 16, 2006, Chron *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recommended: http://www.islamonline.net http://www.islam-guide.com http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
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