Between Islamists and Liberals: Saudi Arabia's New "Islamo-Liberal" Reform

[Lithos]

Stephane Lacroix

The last few years in Saudi Arabia have witnessed the rise of a new trend made up of former Islamists and liberals, Sunnis and Shi'ites, calling for democratic change within an Islamic framework through a revision of the official Wahhabi religious doctrine. These intellectuals have managed to gain visibility on the local scene, notably through a series of manifestos and petitions, and their project has even received support from among the Royal Family. Indeed, the government has since then taken a number of preliminary steps towards political and religious reform. But does this mean that Saudi Arabia is about to enter the era of Post-Wahhabism?

http://www.mideasti.org/articles/doc237.pdf

Very interesting and informative article. The comments about the issues of the current implementation of Wahhabism are extremely informative.

[gottaB]

1. "How We Can Coexist"

Just read that too, (http://americanvalues.org/html/saudi_statement.html)

As a response to neocon arguments, it makes sense. But I question whether the conditions for a meaningful dialogue actually exist. Consider how many of the intellectuals Lacroix mentioned were imprisoned or persecuted for their published views. Thus it's not surprising that one sees arguments in the form of "Our ideas are heavenly, your praxis stinks." That hypocrisy comes from both sides, from the US and from the Middle East. However, whereas public intellectuals in the West are relatively free to criticize hegemonic ideas and and unjust policies (and therefore have no excuse for promulgating ignorance and violence, or adopting official positions uncritically), in the case of a country like Saudi Arabia, liberal intellectals can't seem to put forward a political meaningful critique of sexism or knuckleheaded Wahhabist curricula. So again, it seems like it's a noble idea to found human rights and democratic pluralism on or within shari'ah (Hanbali or otherwise), but in practice it's not so noble. And as long as I can say that, just I can also say that George Bush's God is no better than Satan and the neocons are war criminals, while the Saudi Islamo-Liberals can only say half of that without fear of excommunication, imprisonment and so on, well, what kind of foundation for dialogue is that?

I don't mean to be too sour. Things are improving. The internet may be playing a part in that, as Lacroix noted.

Thanks for posting it. It's a great article.

[Lithos]

2. Things are indeed improving

Though we are talking baby steps of course. The fact that these people were allowed to maintain some sort of informal "Tuesday salon" types of groups as well as present their story to Prince Abdullah is nothing less than earthshattering compared to what was previously allowed.

While I am far from knowledgeable about Wahhabism, and have no idea what the original effort was, it is obvious no small portion has been coopted for use by people to push some rather bigoted agendas.

Communication and exposure to ideas has always been the catalyst for change. It was one of the major change agents to destroy the Soviet Union and has drastically affected the Communist regime in China (to the point of effectively destroying the Party of Mao and transmorphing it into an industrial/capitalist oligarchy).

[gottaB]

3. Cf. "Who are the Islamists?" New ICG report

http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=3021&l=1

[bemildred]

4. Nice piece.

Nails it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look
at it*) I think pigs will fly before the Saudi Royal family
successfully reforms itself, which is the sine qua non for
any other progress. The results of several generations of
arbitrary power do not suddenly wake up and come to their senses.

(*) I'm sure OBL and his minions and a substantial portion of the
Asiri minority are rooting for them to fail.