Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, Washington DC February 22, 2010 Saudi News & Commentary by Dr. Ali Alyami Saudi Women Take Action Director’s Comment: About a year ago, a few Saudi women decided they had had enough of buying their lingerie from lustful Saudi and expatriate salesmen in major department stores. The women, under the leadership of Reem Asaad who lectures on finance at a women’s college in Jeddah, resurrected a ministerial decree that calls on shops that sell women’s underwea ...Continue Reading

The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, Washington DC January 26, 2010 Unsettling Events in Saudi Arabia Commentary by Dr. Ali Alyami “One of the Best Countries”Director’s Comment: In a recent speech to thank some of his Ministry retirees for their sacrifices to defend Saudi Arabia, Interior Minister Prince Naif is reported to have “…stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (his family’s domain-Ali) is one of the best countries in the world in terms of security and economy.” Prince Naif made three ...Continue Reading

Jeddah Flood Tragedy Director’s Comment: The Jeddah flood disaster (November 25, 2009) happened in part because of the rampant and crippling corruption, the total absence of accountability and transparency that permeate every aspect of Saudi public and private life, especially at the very top. But that’s not the whole picture. The Jeddawis (residents of Jeddah) are not considered pure Arab blood because they did not descend from the central desert wasteland of Arabia; and worse, they refused to succumb to the disdain ...Continue Reading

Religious Belief or Lack of Options? Director’s Comment: Contrary to the article below, Dr. Nadal Hassan had many options available if he seriously objected to going to Iraq or Afghanistan. He could have refused deployment and been court martialed, he could have claimed status as a conscientious objector or he could have fled the country. He could have claimed insanity, or even taken on a different identity and fled to another state to live in anonymity. According to his medical colleagues, he became a religious extr ...Continue Reading

Economic Blackmail Director’s Comment: The objective of the attached article which states, “In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar” will render America ...Continue Reading

Close call from a Close Distance: Who Are the Deviants? Director’s Comment: CDHR was established to promote the eradication of the root causes of extremism and its byproduct, terrorism, through the transformation of Saudi institutions and the empowerment of the largely disenfranchised citizens, especially women. CDHR condemns the suicide attack on Prince Muhammad bin Naif, the Saudi Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs, on August 27, 2009, that took place in the living room of his heavily fortified pala ...Continue Reading

Puncturing of Saudi-Wahhabi Alliance Director’s Comment: The centuries-old, love-hate Saudi-Wahhabi theocratic alliance has gone through tough, but not transformative episodes since its formation in the mid-eighteenth century. However, with the aging and passing of its traditional pillars, transformation of regional and international relations, globalization, spread of uncontrollable non-sectarian information and introduction of modern values and lifestyles to the population, the alliance is slowly losing its power ...Continue Reading

The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia located in Washington D.C. Presents: /How Empowering Saudi Women Can Undermine Islamist Extremism/ Wednesday, July 29, 10 AM – 2 PM on Capitol Hill Capitol Hill Visitors Center Room HVC 201 A & B The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR) is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in an informative and thought-provoking conference: How Empowering Saudi Women Can Undermine Islamist Extremism. This unique conference will be ...Continue Reading

The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia located in Washington D.C. Presents: /How Empowering Saudi Women Can Undermine Islamist Extremism/ Wednesday, July 29, 10 AM – 2 PM on Capitol Hill Capitol Hill Visitors Center Room HVC 201 A & B The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR) is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in an informative and thought-provoking conference: How Empowering Saudi Women Can Undermine Islamist Extremism. This unique conference will be ...Continue Reading

It’s More than Election Rigging Director’s Comment: One can appreciate and understand the many formidable issues President Obama faces at home and abroad; however, if he continues ignoring or delaying the empowerment of Middle Eastern people, he will only strengthen the tyrannical regimes in the region. These regimes harbor institutions that conceive, hatch, incubate, nurture and export deadly religious ideologues, which in turn inflict havoc on other peoples, especially those who stand for and promote individual ...Continue Reading