Moving Toward a Segregated Society Director’s Comment: The highest religious authority in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Saudi Mufti, is one of the most opponent personalities of women’s rights, equality and integration into the male dominated Saudi society. Like his ally and protector, the Saudi royal family, with the exception of Prince Talal, the powerful Mufti is dedicated to keeping the Saudi society divided, powerless, fearful and oppressed for as long as he can get away with it. Like all feu ...Continue Reading

Extremists Back in the Streets Director’s Comment: When the Saudi authorities capture potential suicide bombers, they place them in lush residential villas and re-indoctrinate them to focus their attention on the enemies of Islam. Contrary to the Saudi educational officials and senior members of the royal family, who control what is being taught in schools, mosques, and on the street, these young men learn their violent religious values in Saudi institutions. When these extremists are captured by Americans in Afgha ...Continue Reading

Bhutto’s Assassination sends a Shrilling Message Director’s Comment: The assassination of Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, is a great tragedy for Pakistan, for pro-democracy Muslims, and especially for Muslim women worldwide. With all of her shortcomings, Bhutto was pro-democracy and adamantly opposed to any tolerance of extremists. Due to the nature of her beliefs and her firm stance on democracy, Bhutto had become very close to the West. She was a shining symbol for Muslim women in genera ...Continue Reading

Buttressing a Failing System Director’s Comment: By decreeing the formation of a constellation of power-hungry and competing royal princes to determine who among them should rule after he and his designated replacement, Crown Prince Sultan either die or cannot govern, King Abdullah put an end to speculations and hopes for power sharing with his disenfranchised subjects. Instead of opening the political process and empowering the people to help determine their future and the fate of their important but unstable coun ...Continue Reading

The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia November 29, 2007 CDHR Appeal Message By Dr. Ali Alyami The staff of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabiawants to wish you and your loved ones a very happy, safe and contemplative holiday season. We are writing to ask for your financial support, without which our important work would not be possible. Whatever you are able to contribute will help CDHR continue to address the critical and intolerant Saudi government’s policies. Its oppressive ...Continue Reading

Mrs. Bush in Black Director’s Comment: Mrs. Bush is the First Lady of the most democratic and powerful nation on earth. During her recent visit to Saudi Arabia recently she covered herself in the Saudi black abaya, which Saudi women are forced to wear when in public or work places. Whether she knew it or not, Mrs. Bush was validating one of the most repressive symbols of human oppression and isolation. The Saudi ruling religious and political families take advantage of and use symbolic gestures to validate and reinf ...Continue Reading

East-West Religious Conflict Director’s Comment: The rise of religious fervor in Muslim communities in most parts of the world is seen by many non-sectarian Muslims and non-Muslims as a threat to democratic values, world peace, rights for women and minorities, and economic stability. This dangerous trend is attributed to excessive use of religion as a political and oppressive tool by many autocratic Arab and Muslim regimes, especially in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home to two of its most holy shrines. ...Continue Reading

A Family in Turmoil Director’s Comment: Director Comments: The Saudi royal family is known for its size, greed and determination to exclude the people from decision-making processes and is also known to have total grip over the country, its people and wealth. The ruling princes are mired in family fights over whose sons and grandsons will inherit the throne and important governmental positions after the passing of the unhealthy and aging sons of the first King of the Country, Abdul Aziz. While King Abdullah is mislea ...Continue Reading

A Courageous and Pro-Democracy Prince Director’s Comment: In an interview with the Associated Press on 9/4/07, Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz who does not hold an official position but is known to be a confidant of King Abdullah, declared that he will form a political party inside Saudi Arabia and ask imprisoned Saudi reformers whom he described as prisoners of conscience to join the party. This is probably the best way to introduce quantifiable and power sharing reforms in Saudi Arabia. As one of the senior princes who ...Continue Reading

The Bush Administration's decision to sell $20 billion worth of sophisticated military hardware to the Saudi and other royal families of the Gulf States is ill advised and runs counter to the Administration's earlier encouraging calls for democratic reforms in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia, where citizens are excluded from the political and economic decision making, women have no rights, expatriates are exploited and abused, and American soldiers who are assigned to protect the ruling families are prohibited ...Continue Reading