Manama: A Saudi religious figure has waded into controversy after he said elections were not justifiable and should not be allowed even when a country ruler called for them.
“Elections depend on numbers and not on the knowledge of the voters,” Abdul Aziz Al Rayyes, who oversees a religious network, said. “Thus, the vote of a learned and distinguished scientist is equal to the vote of a simple farm worker who can be influenced by money, or a position or any other material thing. Religion values matters according to their quality, not based on quantity or numbers. It is wrong to decide matters based on the concept of majority because the majority is not always right,” he said during a talk show on a private television station.
Al Rayyes said that power transition in any state should be based on the ruler designating his successor or on the consensus of competent and knowledgeable people.
“We cannot have the general public decide because they can be influenced by wealth or worldly positions,” he said, quoted by local news site Al Marsad.
He added that religion had ordered people to obey rulers “not for their sake, but rather to ensure there are no deep divisions or other ominous evils that are much worse than mistakes by the leaders.”
“There are two ways for reforms, a long term and a short term,” he said. “In the short term, the ruler is advised and counseled and this should be done directly with him, not behind him. In the long term, the focus is on advising and counseling the people,” he said.
However, Al Rayyes was promptly criticised by social media users who said that his thinking was not acceptable.
“Islam insists that all people are born equal, and you seem not to accept this fact,” Sa’ad, a blogger, posted. “Please explain how you contradict such an Islamic value since you refuse to equate scientists with farm workers.”
Light Visitor, another blogger, said Al Rayyes should not limit political views to the elite.
“You are ruling out the general public and promoting an elitist approach,” he wrote. “Are you saying the people cannot be trusted? Please do look at the Prophet’s sayings and you will see that he never looked down on anyone.”
Another blogger, writing under the moniker of Special Point, said that Al Rayyes was wrong in believing the elite could not be influenced.
“If the general public made up of millions of people can be influenced and bought, it should be much easier to apply the same with the much fewer members of the elite,” he said.
