Revolution Underway In Saudi Arabia: Mohammad Bin Salman(MBS) Has Moved Fast
06 December 2017By Saeed Qureshi
Following his appointment as the Crown Prince by his father king Salman on 21
June 2017, Mohammad Bin Salman(MBS) has moved fast to address two issues. One
is to order arrest of scores of the members of the royal family on charges of
corruption. The most important royal members among them are Muhammad Bin Nayef,
prince Mutib bin Abdullah and the richest prince Alwaleed Bin Talal.
These celebrities have been removed from their prestigious positions and
placed under arrest. The incarcerated royal family members are barred from
traveling aboard. According to reports 11 royal princes, four ministers and
ten former ministers have been arrested. With the time passage the number of
the arrested people might increase.
The other issue was to liberalize the Saudi society by lifting some of the
harshest rules and restrictions relating to the day to day lives of the
people. Muhammad has decided to restore civil liberties and openness as were
prevalent prior to 1979. Of these numerous prohibitive religious laws and
regulations, some were focused on the women. Under those laws, the women
couldn't drive, couldn't go out without a male family attendant and had to
wrap their whole body.
He has decided to revive the cultural centers and cinemas for the people to
get together for social gatherings and even dance parties as these were in
vogue prior to 1979 when these sanctions were imposed by the powerful clergy.
In his interview given to New York Times' senior journalist, Thomas L.
Friedman, the crown prince Muhammad told the interviewer that "in the 1950s
women were without heads covered, wearing skirts and walking with men in
public, as well as concerts and cinemas."
In this regard scores of religious leaders and Islamic scholars have also been
arrested to forestall any reaction or opposition from them to the restoration
of civil liberties particularly relating to the cultural dimensions.
Freidman reported that during his stay in Saudi Arabia he saw that the people
on the whole welcomed these measures. Particularly the youth and women were
exuberant and supported prince Muhammad in his bid of releasing the society
from many unnecessary shackles placed on the people after the takeover of the
Salafi brand of Islam. Thereafter, the people came under a strait jacket of
strict restrictions as if the Saudi Society had been rolled back in the past.
Muhammad also holds the portfolios of the First Deputy Prime Minister and the
minister of defense. He is just 32 years but from his measures and decisions
which he took after his advent as the crown prince make him look like a
visionary and a forward-looking person who wants to erase the impression that
Saudi society was closed, fundamentally puritanical and socially orthodox.
From his public statements and interviews, it surmises that he possesses
immense urge and determination to transform Saudi Arabia from a rigid orthodox
and radical Islamic track to a more enlightened and forward-looking paradigm.
His removal and imprisoning of some 11 princes from the Royal family along
with scores of other highly influential business figures and top-notches is
stunning and rather a courageous step towards curbing the widespread culture
of monetary corruption through devious means.
As already mentioned, Crown prince Muhammad' drive is two pronged. One is to
eliminate the rampant corruption particularly in the royal family and big
corporate sector. The second is to restore a normal civil life and lift
stringent conditions, rules and restrictions imposed by religious clerics.
His sacking and imprisoning 57 highly influential individuals is being
interpreted as an action to remove any bottlenecks and challengers to his
office by the members of the royal family. One such person is prince Naif who
has been the predecessor crown prince. King Salman removed him and replaced
his son Muhammad with additional powers to be able to make decision that can
liberalize the society to a certain extent and open up and ease the day to day
and socio-cultural life of the Saudi citizens.
One giant step is to abolish the so call religious police (shurtas) which had
been exercising excessive clout and no holds barred powers to catch anybody
from anywhere, lash them in public and shove them in the most horrifying
makeshift prisons. The women folks were not immune from their savage
onslaughts and ruthless implementation of law that curbed the independence and
civil liberties of the women with impunity.
Mentioning about the level of corruption Muhammad claimed that "Our country
has suffered a lot from corruption from the 1980s until today to such an
extent that 10 percent of all government spending was siphoned-off by
corruption each year, from the top levels to the bottom."
Under order from the incumbent King Salman bin Abdulaziz-Al-Saud in 2015, a
team prepared a list of 200 persons responsible for enormous financial
malpractices. These are the individuals who made money through kickbacks,
overcharging and through such projects which either were never accomplished or
later turned to be white elephants. It is evident that more arrests would be
made in due course of time. As to what punishment would be awarded to those
found guilty might be known after the verdicts are announced.
It can be presaged that the switch over from a rigid Islamic system to the one
compatible with the rest of the world with civil liberties would not be easy.
If the orthodox Islamic groups resist this gubernatorial change there could be
bloodshed or acts of sabotage and frequent demonstrations against both king
Salman and his visionary son crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman.
We have also to watch and see what could be the reaction from other Islamic
nations which are also under a rigid puritanical version of Islam and where
Salafi Sharia(jurisprudence) is in vogue. One of such countries is Pakistan
where Salafi/Sunni code of Islam is vibrant and where the reaction from these
hardliners could be perpetual and strong.
The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of Diplomatic Times and a
former diplomat. This and other articles by the writer can also be read at his
blog www.uprightopinion.com.
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