At the crossroads: Saudi Arabia in transition

Today Saudi society faces the challenge of maintaining its cohesion while surviving the risks of an uncertain future that any change might bring about. Saudi Arabia, a country that used to follow a more restrained and conservative approach when addressing internal affairs, has taken steps, albeit cautious, to examine its drawbacks. This change in the kingdom's outlook comes in the wake of the country coming under close scrutiny by the outside world and, more importantly, as a result of the increase of terrorist attacks on its soil.

As globalisation has impacted on many frontiers around the world, Saudi Arabia was not exempt from its influence. This is especially true following the 9/11 terrorist attacks when the country was accused by some of being a breeding ground for terrorism.

And now the most recent terrorist attacks in the kingdom has deeply affected the very fabric of Saudi society, stirring discussion and bringing issues of concern out into the open.

Intellectuals and professionals have been taking bolder steps towards addressing the single most discussed issue - reform. This is a different Saudi Arabia from that which existed a couple of decades ago. It is a country at a crossroads. Reform, the topic currently being debated by various segments of society, is in reality a reflection of what the country is going through - introspection and questioning of the direction to be followed.

Ironically, both official and unofficial segments of society are playing up the word 'reform". However, only a minimum within these segments actually reflect on the pace and the boundaries within which reform can be nurtured or brought about.

Soon, actions taken by various groups within Saudi society will signal not only the change in how Saudi society addresses issues, but also the mode of communication with their government.

Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and subsequent liberation, a group of intellectuals called upon the government to immediately initiate the process of reform. The stationing of over 500,000 American and international forces for the first time on Saudi soil raised hope among some that change was inevitable and rapprochement in the relationship between the government and the governed was bound to take a different course.

The first indication came in November, 1992, when a group of 107 religious scholars and clerics (ulema) sent a "Memorandum of Advice" to King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The 46-page document criticised the government for corruption and human rights abuses as well as for allowing US troops to continue to be stationed in the country. It also called for closer adherence to the Sharia and the repudiation of relations with non-Western governments. Later, seven members of the Supreme Authority of Senior Scholars were dismissed for refusing to denounce the memorandum and it petitioners.

A similar call for safeguarding Islamic law was also addressed by members of the Committee for the Defence of Legitimate Rights in May, 1993. But this was received with condemnation from the official and highly authoritative Council of Ulema which labelled the action as "illegal", reminding the public of its duty to obey the King and the Ulema. The petitioning Committee soon declared its allegiance to the government.

Trail of devastation

These events indicates there are divisions within the religious establishment as far as reforms are concerned. But this split in perspective was strongly highlighted in the wake of the trail of devastation wrought by terrorist attacks since the mid-1990s. It was clear that when national unity came under threat, all should be united in its condemnation.

The recent bombing in the Al Muhaya compound in Riyadh raised a question that is being debated by many in a society that is experimenting with change and undergoing a transformation: Why is there an increase in the number of young Saudi men resorting to violence and being fed with radical ideas?

For the first time, beginning with the late 1990s, Saudi society openly turned its focus inwards to look into the causes that led to the continuation of these attacks. This awareness has been heightened in recent years as the terrorists have became blind to the identity of their victims, especially true of the recent terrorist attacks as the number of civilian casualties increased, with total disregard for nationality and faith.

Now society's act is being brought together, says the daily Saudi Arab News. It goes on to say that no longer can Saudi Arabia afford to ignore the existence of radicalism. Neither can it pretend that it is immune from mistakes and terrorist attacks. And the only way to stop this is through change which has to take place immediately and without any further delay.

However, the country is not new to such attacks. Exactly 24 years ago the first violent attack shook the kingdom when a group of Sunni Islamist militants stormed the Grand Mosque in Makkah in November, 1979, during Haj. Led by Juhaiman Al Otaibi, the group barricaded themselves in the mosque for over two weeks. Accusing the Saudi government of corruption and criticising its relations with the "infidels" - in a reference to the US and its close relations with the West - the group called for the overthrow of the government.

The incident received worldwide condemnation. Saudi forces eventually took over control following clashes with the militants which resulted in the death of 27 Saudi soldiers and more than 100 militants. Those who were captured - a total of 63 including their leader - were beheaded in January, 1980.

Accusations of the nexus between the government and the US would soon become the thread holding together all the terrorist attacks that have taken place over the last two decades. The accusers' identities would change but the core of their criticism would remain the same. And the means of protest would also be similar - the use of terror and violence.

The most vocal and persistent criticism came from one of its own young militant nationals - Osama bin Laden. The bitter grievance that Bin Laden held against the Saudi government was the presence of American troops in the country. That presence, said Bin Laden, was an "occupation", a humiliation to the people, a threat to its neighbours, and a utility being used as a "spearhead to fight against the neighbouring Islamic people".

In August, 1995, Bin Laden sent an open letter to King Fahd calling for a campaign against US forces in the kingdom. His connections to terrorism and the Al Qaida prompted the government to freeze all his assets in 1994 and revoke his citizenship in 1997.

Soon, bin Laden's words of threat turned into acts of terror. In November, 1995, a bomb explosion at the Saudi National Guard training centre in Riyadh left seven people dead, five of whom were Americans. The first of a series of terrorist attacks in the country since 1979, it led to the arrest and subsequent confession of four Saudi nationals. The attackers claimed that their action was inspired by one of bin Laden's communiqués. However, bin Laden denied having anything to do with the attack, although he praised it. The scale of the attack baffled the Saudi government as it believed it was i