As calls for radical reform grow louder in Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Abdullah announced the launching of the reform process but he left out the finer details, reports Sherine Bahaa "The state is proceeding in its gradual and studied course of reform ... we will not allow anyone to stand in the way of reform whether through calls for immobility and stagnation or calls for a leap into darkness and reckless adventure," said Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in a televised address last week. According to Khaled Al-Dakhil, professor of sociology at King Saud University, Riyadh, the statement by Crown Prince Abdullah was nothing new. "It was a comprehensive and determined statement on reform, but it lacked transparency." However, as Al-Dakhil pointed out, this rather vague position adopted by the Crown Prince can be viewed as an indicator of differences within the ruling Saudi circles regarding the reform process. "It is not yet clear if it is a difference over the concept of reform or over its extent." The crown prince also took into account the political weaknesses of liberals in Saudi Arabia in sharp contrast to the powerful Islamists, buttressed by the overwhelmingly conservative political establishment. Islamists are suspicious of political reform agendas. The Islamist groups -- both the moderates and the militant fundamentalists -- reject any kind of reform initiated by liberals which, they believe, might lead to the marginalisation of Islam. Knowing this, the Crown Prince was keen to point out that Saudi society "draws all of its foundations and its very existence from the Divine Constitution -- the Qur'an and the Sunna [the Prophet Mohamed's teachings]." He added that "any opposition to that Constitution represents an attack on the nation." Though Prince Abdullah acknowledged the existence of different and often opposing views in the kingdom, he declined to name either of the two rival trends -- Islamists and liberals. Al-Dakhil explained that with his cautious selection of words, the de facto ruler of the kingdom was trying to balance the government's stance vis-a-vis the liberals and the Islamists. In the wake of 11 September, calls for political reform and the establishment of an independent judicial system have intensified. Last May, militant Islamist strikes at the heart of the kingdom unleashed a wave of terror. Two other attacks took place in November and December last year. The Saudi authorities became fully aware that this was a threat to the country. Under mounting internal pressure, the Saudi authorities indicated that they would draft new reform programmes. Municipal elections are due in 2004, and greater legislative powers were granted to the advisory Shura Council. Another major development was the opening of a national dialogue forum which was held twice over the past six months and a third round is expected to take place in Madina next May. What was significant about this dialogue was the participation of the crown prince stressing that the government was an active partner in the national dialogue. "This is the first time in the Arab world that the head of a state takes part in a national dialogue forum. However, this does not mean that he is just a participant in the national dialogue. His role definitely supersedes the roles of all other participants," stressed Al-Dakhil. For Al-Dakhil, this compromises the process of reform. "Other participants are expressing their own point of view clearly and with transparency while the government still controls everything," Al-Dakhil said. Prince Abdullah declared that the government will look into the recommendations of the national dialogue committee. Certain important aspects of the recommendations were vague, and members of the national dialogue are appointed by the National Centre for Dialogue -- a supposedly independent organisation whose head is appointed by the crown prince. The government chooses who is to participate in the national dialogue, "it is an indirect means of government control," says Al-Dakhil. Another contentious issue in Saudi Arabia is the role of women. The issue is heatedly debated in the country. Last week, Saudi Arabia launched a new news satellite television channel, Ikhbariya, to present a fresh image of the Gulf Arab state portrayed in the West as a haven for Islamist militants. Breaking new ground in the deeply conservative kingdom, the opening news bulletin was delivered by a female presenter, Buthaina Al-Nasr, modestly dressed in black head scarf and white jacket. In Saudi Arabia women television presenters, a traditional male preserve, are a rarity. Women were also active partners with men in the influential economic forum which took place this week. However, they were confined to a side hall from where they delivered their speeches from behind dividing screens and attended their own gala dinner separately from the men. In Saudi Arabia where women are still banned from driving, there are calls for the abolition of travel visa restrictions for women. Women also want educational reform to reflect their equality with men. For her part, Nahed Taher, chief financial analyst at the National Commercial Bank, stood up to tell the forum that sexual segregation had kept women at home. But today, she said, there was the political will to accept women as equal partners at work. "Rules and regulations need changing to enhance the role of women," she added. The participation of women in national life would be "complimentary to the role of the men". Change is not an easy process in Saudi Arabia, Al-Dakhil conceded. "We do not want to replace the Saudi leadership but to widen the scope of popular participation," he said.
