BROAD and quality education, rising class of intelligentsia and encouragement by enlightened rulers in Saudi Arabia are fostering an environment for fundamental and far-reaching social, religious and political reforms necessary for progress and stability. An empathetic visitor is pleasantly surprised by the intellectual ferment in the Kingdom and the systematic process that has been launched by the King Abdullah himself for discussion and dialogue on national issues and proposals for salutary action to ensure orderly development of the citadel of conservative Islam and modernization of a society once steeped in tribal culture. Held at the King Abdullah Center for National Dialogue several meetings since 2003 and attended by thirty to seventy scholars for intensive discussions lasting over several days, dialogues have identified core issues and made bold recommendations for reforms. Legislation to implement the recommendations is the logical next step.
While many of the recommendations are addressed to domestic issues some are of equal interest to Muslims in other countries. Particularly impressive in the latter category are proposals that relate to interpretations of Islam in the context of contemporary challenges and understanding of implications of the rapidly changing world. The very first dialogue held in 2003 made the seminal recommendation for utilization of the well established Islamic method of Ijtihad or exertion of analogical reasoning by councils of scholars for rebuilding the law of Sharia to discover answers to new problems.
Incidentally, Allama Mohammad Iqbal’s lectures on Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam considered Ijtihad indispensable for dynamism of society that could otherwise become immobile and stagnant. While conservative ulema would apparently confine resort to this method to doctors of Islamic law, Iqbal proposed inclusion of elected leaders in the process. Saudi religious scholars participating in the dialogue concurred in the recommendation for inclusion of specialists. Evidently, people in Saudi Arabia have benefited from a system of education that is broad in scope. All schools are required to teach a common curriculum with Islamic studies as one of several subjects. There are no madaris that impart only religious education.
Jihad: Among the priority issues identified by dialogue participants as requiring elucidation was the doctrine of jihad which is often mistranslated as ‘Holy War.’ Literally meaning striving or exerting effort, jihad has always been considered a broad and comprehensive term that requires a Muslim to participate in endeavour for rectitude at personal, social and state levels.
Individual effort against one’s own sinful self is considered the greater jihad. Improvement of one’s own character and conduct is the key to improvement of society and individuals must participate in that effort also. Bat, as participants in the dialogue emphasized, an individual is not permitted to issue a fatwa or edict binding on others, and matters of collective concern must be referred to qualified authorities. As for matters of peace and war, only the state has the right to declare jihad. Participants emphasized that distinction must be made between jihad and mischief on earth, and called for definition of terms of ‘land of war’ (dar-ul harab) and ‘land of peace’ (dar-ul aman). Another recommendation called for study and research of phenomenon of extremism and terrorism, its manifestations, causes and remedies. Special importance was attached to developing curricula for spread of spirit of tolerance and moderation. The youth who had been misled in to extremism and mischief needed to be provided opportunity for repentance and return to the mainstream.
Women’s rights: Particularly impressive if also unanticipated and surprising because of prevalent conservatism was the emphasis in the dialogues on promotion of the rights of women. Indeed one of the annual dialogues was devoted exclusively to this theme. Testifying to spread of higher education and enlightenment in Saudi society, the mostly male participants noted that many of the current practices were a legacy from the tribal past and called for distinction between custom and principles of Islam which recognized and expaned rights of women in various spheres of life. They supported reforms to ensure justice to women in all fields of life. Specific recommendations advocated women’s employment as a legitimate right and creation of suitable jobs for the educated.
It was emphasized that marriage did not mean dominance of husbands over wives, and called for legislation to prohibit violence against women and establishment of separate sections for women in courts of law. Still another set of recommendations sought appointment of committees of religious and social scholars to define concepts relating to women’s issues, delineation of their rights and duties and addition of women’s rights to the curriculum of study in schools.
Political and Social Issues: Need for political reform has by no means been ignored. Apparently discussions were calm and discreet testifying to a responsible and respectful approach towards important issues of governance. While participants in the first meeting in 2003 did not hesitate to pace on record their recommendations for expediting political reforms and expanding representation of elected members in the Shura Council, they avoid radical rhetoric and evidence preference for deliberate speed in considering complex issues which include separation of executive, judicial and regulatory branches of government, preservation of public wealth, transparency and accountability and priority for spending on basic needs of citizens.
Seen in perspective, Saudi Arabia is embarked on a progressive path towards evolving a political and social order appropriate to the changing domestic and international environment and responsive to the aspirations of its people. Broad public education and opportunity for thousands of youth to study in institutions of higher studies at home and universities in Europe and the United States are likely to foster a balanced and enlightened approach towards the inherently difficult and complex process of popular participation in governance.
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