In a September 8, 2010 article in the daily Al-Hayat, Saudi journalist and writer 'Abdallah Nasser Al-'Otaibi called for change in the Saudi kingdom that would enable the Saudis to move with the times and attain self-sufficiency in today's rapidly developing world. He argued that the change must not only involve the renunciation of bigoted religious views in favor of a pluralistic and tolerant outlook, but should embrace all areas of life – including economics, education, science, and art. He stressed, however, that reform programs could not succeed overnight, and also that they must be tailored to the character of the communities in which they are to be implemented.
Following are excerpts from the article:[1]
"It Is Crucial That We Strive to Change, So That We Can Live in the World of the Future"
"Everyone wants change... The Salafis, who think that the Islamic scholarly tradition represents the best way to protect the religion... the liberals, who do not yet know why they are liberals, because they have no characteristics with which to be branded and no programs that can distinguish them from others... the progressives, who believe that the body of the nation can only be cured by stripping it of the remnants of the past ... and the reactionaries, who think that the future is pure evil!
"Everyone talks about change from his own perspective. Those who are fanatic in both their religious and social [views] want societies to seal themselves into a bubble in which there is no thought, no research, and no creativity...
"And those who are religiously and socially open-minded want [our] societies to instantly adopt the Western way of life – [a process] that required hundreds of years, and many sacrifices, for the West [itself]. These [people] want to [instantly] transfer the Western experience, which places the individual at the center, to the Arab societies, which have sanctified a collective that perpetually crushes the individual.
"Everyone wants change, and that's a good thing. But what kind of change suits the nature of the people and the times? Is it enough to reassess the general laws that govern our lives? Is it sufficient for us to [employ] the 'direct method,' or should we endeavor to bring about change through the 'indirect method?' Is it enough for individuals to call for change, or is there a need for government involvement through the use of specialized teams? Will people accept change imposed upon them as a fait accompli, or [will they accept it only] through persuasion and negotiation...? Is it enough to consider social and religious change, or do we need to consider change in economics, sports, arts, sciences, etc?
"[But] the two most important questions are: Do we really need to change, and what awaits us in the future if we do not change?
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"To begin with these last two questions, I would say that... it is crucial that we strive to change, so that we can live in the world of the future. If our situation continues as it is today, then our children and grandchildren will not be able to march along with the rest of the peoples of the earth, because, quite simply, they will not have the tools to live in a changing and developing world...
"We must change so that we eat [food] that we ourselves grow, wear [clothes] and ride [in vehicles] that we ourselves manufacture, fly [planes] that we ourselves develop, and communicate [using devices that are the fruit] of our own innovation."
"Real Change Applies to All Aspects of Our Lives – Including the Transition from Bigotry to a True Understanding of Islam"
"The word 'change,' in the Saudi context, for example, does not just mean that Dr. Salman Al-Odeh [must] abandon his hard-line positions and move towards moderate Islam. It does not only mean that Dr. Ayed Al-Qarni [must] renounce his famous exclusionary approach and adopt a position of respecting others and valuing their opinion and beliefs. [And] it does not only mean that many leading figures of the Saudi [Islamic] awakening period [must] shift from their hard-line stance in the direction of tolerance and [free] thinking that understands the needs of reality and its determinants.
"[Rather], real change applies to all aspects of our lives, including the transition from bigotry to a true understanding of Islam. [Moreover,] when we talk about change we should not limit it to the understanding of religion. Rather, we must know that... the Islam of [the Prophet] Muhammad – not Sunni or Shi'ite [Islam], or any other brand – is the religion of reason, which reforms us in this world and then inevitably leads us to Paradise...
"This is the real change that we must seek. It's good that Dr. Salman Al–Odeh acknowledged, in his well-known TV show 'Cornerstone'... that change does only mean talking about the change that has occurred in his [views], but means a positive transformation in all domains of life... But are Al-Odeh's attempts to bring about change through a television program [really] sufficient?
"The answer is obviously no. The issue is larger than television debates that quickly fade from the public's memory. If we want change, we need to undertake a series of enduring long-term measures that will ensure a lasting transformation in our societies. This means that we should transform [people's] thinking, not [just their] behavior.
"The first measure to be taken is to deal differently with different areas of Saudi Arabia. A change that suits the people of Hijaz does not necessarily suit the people of Al-Najd. Measures of change that can [currently] be realistically implemented in the north may be impossible to implement in the south of the Kingdom.
"Moreover, the successful introduction of a specific change in one region may tempt the people of another region, who originally refused this change, to adopt it. [For example, the notion of] education for girls... was [once] opposed by many people but adopted by others. Years later, the opponents [started] to educate their daughters [too]...
"Secondly, there are some policies of change that the government must impose by force. Initially, people will accept them out of fear of punishment, but in time they will become part of the generally [accepted norms] – if not in [our] lifetime then in the lifetime of [our] children and grandchildren.
"The third measure [to be taken] is to change government policies vis-à-vis schools, factories and government departments, and to set a definite timetable for achieving a complete transformation in [our] economic, educational and scientific outlook, in a way that ensures the country's transition... from a consumer [society] that depends on a [natural] resource... to a country whose existence relies [on the abilities of] its own people...
"Fourth, based on this [principle], the government must set out a five-year reform plan, guided by a number of thinkers in various fields whose task will be to mesh the development plans with the plans for change.
"The fifth and most important measure is to activate the role of the general censorship [apparatus] – and I hope it becomes an [independent government] ministry – in order to ensure a successful process of change free of the ill effects of rumormongers, thieves, and self-seeking opportunists, and in order to keep the [radical] hardliners, the pretended liberals, the progressives, and the reactionaries from controlling the destiny of the country and its people."
[1] Al-Hayat (London), September 8, 2010.
