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Letter: Reforms in Saudi Arabia
It is with great pleasure I have followed the radical changes in the political and social scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, since we lived almost two years in Riyadh in the mid-eighties so these sudden changes have drawn our immediate attention
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It is with great pleasure I have followed the radical changes in the political and social scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, since we lived almost two years in Riyadh in the mid-eighties so these sudden changes have drawn our immediate attention.
It was a difficult time for us then because we discovered that Saudi women had no rights at all and did not participate in any sector, although economic development was already moving extremely fast at that time, with beautiful buildings sprouting like mushrooms out of the ground within the blink of an eye.
King Abdullah's removal of two hard-line clerics amid a broader Cabinet reshuffle has certainly clipped the wings of the powerful establishment. A number of well-educated Saudi women hold powerful posts outside the Kingdom, since it is not possible for them to do so in their own country.
Until now, even driving their own cars was prohibited.The King has replaced the chief of the intimidating and abusive police force, so greater tolerance will surely come and soon Saudi women will be able to drive. It must have been a very difficult royal decision to make, since religious doctrine and political legitimacy are intertwined. The appointment of a female deputy education minister must have shocked the nation. The King has taken very wise decisions, as development is moving so fast, Saudi women should be able to participate in the political, economical, financial and social sectors.
The present King is a very wise man and knows exactly what is right for his country and people, change should come from the top within Saudi Arabia itself without interference from the West. SBY should learn from His Royal Majesty as Indonesia is certainly moving backward with religious clerics trying to grab power, intending to run Indonesia, imposing unacceptable fatwa and trying to limit the rights of women, which is putting this country right back in the Middle Ages.
Lynna van der Zee-Oehmke
Bogor, West Java
