The One with the Freedom

Hey All,

I am a bit concerned. I have had no comments from anyone on my posts, but then again, only two people know about my musings. Probably, with time, it might become more popular as more and more people find out about it.

I don’t know how many of you have been following news of Saudi Arabia, but there has been a recent event in Riyadh that grabbed my interest. There were three men who were very vocal about the reforms that they wanted to see in Saudi. They were calling out for a constitutional changes and the abolishment of absolute monarchy. They were calling for reforms in the country to allow for more openness to the outside world. Those three men were arrested and a trial was held for them. So much for the “freedom of thought!”

Their friends and family members converged on the steps of the courthouse on the day of the trial. The three men were inside with the lawyers and judges. The people who came in from all over Saudi Arabia wanted to get in the courthouse but were not allowed. “We thought this was a free and open trial,” chanted many people. So much for freedom and transparency. It was no surprise that Saudis wanted this trial to be a closed one. The people stormed inside the building and were met with resistance from the policemen. The people were large in numbers and demanded to see the three men. These people included the wives and children of the men arrested. Eventually, they all climbed up to the 12th floor, where they found out that the trial has been postponed.

I am mentioning this, because I think we are living in an exciting and a dangerous world now. We are in the midst of history being made. We are looking at the little freedom that Saudi Arabia has gained: Satellite channels, books, magazines, movies (uncensored!), Internet (people with satellite internet connection have no blocked sites; they have access to everything) and freedom of press. Who would have though that the Saudi press would write about child abuse, sexual abuse, drug use amongst Saudis, homelessness, mismanagement of government policies, failed implementation of Saudization, breakdown in the country’s infrastructure, wife beating, lack of jobs, unemployment, demand for women’s rights and the list goes on and on. The press publishes at one article a day to highlight all the ills of the society that we thought was the perfect model society based on Islam. Now that we are seeing the reality, albeit partial reality, we can realize that the society that the Saudis thought was perfect isn’t so perfect anymore.

I still say: the more R’s (Rules, Regulations and Restrictions) you place on your people, the more F’s it will create (Frustration, Fury and Fanaticism) which will lead to a complete breakdown of the nation—which we are seeing already.

Although I may sound negative, I think the solution is that the country needs to open up and allow for freedom.

I still don’t understand one of many things, and if someone can please answer me on this, please do so:

If the government of Saudi Arabia enjoys the freedom given to them to build mosques and Islamic schools in the West, why don’t they allow for the West to build their churches and synagogues here in Saudi Arabia?

I am still trying to find the answer for this question.

Leaving you to ponder on this thought,

Mansur
PS check out www.arabnews.com for updates on the events in Saudi Arabia. To those who have been away from Saudi for sometime, you will be surprised at the level of freedom in this paper and realities of the Saudi society! :)