'My dear friend\r'

'I accept you ar enjoying your stay in the United States and that you ar receiving a good education.  I shoot been bounteous a lot of thought recently to the problems of our demesne and the possible alternatives to the rule of the House of Saud.  I pass water so few opportunities and liberties here that I whole tone that check up on Islamists may do a lay down out job of governing our coun try than the princes.  Let me try to explain how I flavour.\r\nLike very much an(prenominal) of our propagation, I ask had trouble finding work.  During the cover roar of the 1970s, employment was more secure and the regime was fit to sacrifice extensive wel removede benefits to citizens of the poofdom.  More recently, however, the miserliness has stagnated.  In 1998, for exemplar, we had 27% unemployment!\r\nI feel that the sparing is suffering due to our reliance on crude.  disdain the fabulous wealth it brings to the ara, the oil industry wash bowl lonesome(prenominal) employ a certain issue forth of people.  Since oil is essenti wholey the only occasion that our rude produces, it is the only sector that provides large-scale employment different than the presidential term itself, which is dominated by the munificent family and its engagement of friends and cronies.\r\nDespite all the wealth gained from oil, the munificent family\r\nHas non invested the wealth into other sectors of high society; instead, it has used the oil wealth to enrich itself, purchase vast quantities of weapons from the Ameri moves, and defile loyalty from the population by providing free social services.  Despite all this wealth, however, our rustic has non presumption immenseer freedoms to its citizens.\r\nOur kingdom has al miens re deceitfulnessd on an coalescency between the al-Saud family and the stem Wahabi clerics.  One of the king’s central roles is the custodian of the two holy places (Mecca and Medina).à ‚  The clerics break the king legitimacy, and in open the kings lavishly bloodline the clerics’ mosques, schools, and charity organizations.\r\nI feel that this alliance is pernicious for our rustic.  Our landed estate needs to be freer.  twain the munificent family and the Wahabi clerics are opposed to greater freedoms for us, the average citizens.  Both groups benefit by denying index number to other people.  I curb come to feel that the Saudi-Wahabi alliance is speculative for us as Saudi citizens, because it denies us prefatory freedoms.  It is besides bad for the reality as a whole, because it tugs to terrorism.\r\n many a nonher(prenominal) Wahabis have endcelled against the Saudi royal family, declaring that it is non sufficiently Moslem.  They feel that the government activity is also corrupt, too decadent, and too friendly with America.  Osama stack away soused is the closely infamous Saudi who has taken this position.   yet though he claped America, bin Laden’s primary enemy has always been the Saudi royal family, who he feels are bad Moslems who do non de see to be the custodians of Mecca and Medina.\r\nThe threat to the Saudis from its essential citizens became pass slay shortly after I was innate(p).  This was a major turning point in the history of our country.  When ibn Talal Hussein Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, many worshiped that he would turn on Saudi Arabia next.  Osama bin Laden told King Fahd that he would battle ibn Talal Hussein Hussein’s forces with the fighters he had trained and fought with in Afghanistan during the 1980’s during the war with the Soviet Union.\r\nKing Fahd spurned bin Laden’s offer, which probably wasn’t real realistic any way.  Instead, the king turned to the Americans for protection.  Huge American armies came to Saudi Arabia and used our country as a base from which to attack Iraq and le t loose Kuwait.  Even though Saddam Hussein could no coherenter threaten Saudi Arabia, the decision to throw in the American military into the kingdom infuriated many extreme Islamists.\r\nI must(prenominal) say that, as a proud and independent man, I would akin to defend my own country rather than have the Americans do it.  I take over’t wish the Americans any harm, it’s provided that I don’t want to rely on them and ideally I would the like their military to leave our land.  Many people, however, feel oft eons more strongly somewhat this than I do, and they began attack the house of Saud for allowing Americans into Arabia.\r\nAs my generation grew, we saw the government come under attack from radicals who wished to overthrow the regime.  Throughout the 1990’s these radicals, including al-Qaeda, attacked sights in Saudi Arabia that were associated with the government or the American military.  We now have a confrontation betwe en the House of Saud and the radical Islamists, but I don’t feel that either group is open to govern our country effectively.\r\nAlthough I disap usher of the Saudi royal family, just as Osama bin Laden does, I also totally disapprove of bin Laden’s goals and tactics.  Basically I feel that the Saudis are far too conservative.  Bin Laden feels that they are not conservative enough!  The most amazing thing about the Saudis is that their allies, the Wahabis, are the people they have to headache most.\r\nFor years, the royal princes funded Wahabi mosques and schools and charities around the human.  They knew that some of these groups used the silver for terrorist activities, but there was a sort of unexpressed contract that the Islamist terrorists would not target Saudi Arabia itself.  I don’t bonk why our government ever trusted these people, but the terrorists broke the agreement and began to attack the royal family.\r\nSo, my friend, our go vernment has failed to diversify the parsimoniousness beyond oil, it has failed to give more rights and liberties to its citizens, and it has used oil wealth to try to buy off radical groups, but this strategy has predictably backfired.  These are actually serious grievances to have, wouldn’t you say?\r\nPerhaps an example of the royal family’s idea of â€Å" remediate” exit illustrate my grievances.  In 1992, King Fahd enacted the Basic truth of Government by regulation.  The law spelled out the character of the government.  The government was a hereditary monarchy, a pretending that was popular centuries ago in Europe.  The king would serve as head of state, head of the council of ministers, and commander in chief of the armed forces.  In addition, the king appoints all ministers as well as all members of a new body, the informatory council.\r\nHere are my problems with this elbow grease at reform.  Firstly, the Basic Law was enact ed by decree of the king; the Saudi people had absolutely no role in devising this law.  Secondly, the law only if spelled out what was already known; the Saudi family, curiously the king, has all the causation in Saudi Arabia.\r\nThe consultative council was supposed to represent a move towards greater representation, but I feel that it only illustrated the king’s arrogance.  Firstly, the council is appointed by the king, so we can assume it is made of up people who he knows will agree with him.  Secondly, the council â€Å"consults”; the king is in no way bound to follow its advice.  So not only is this council not representative of the Saudi people, it doesn’t eventide have any authority!  This is not the kind of reform we need; this is not reform at all.\r\nMy friend, our country has no constitution, no beat of rights, no independent courts or media, and no luff representation for its citizens in government.  This is not the type of c ountry I wish to live in.  Here is what I feel must be done.\r\nI do not have any illusions about how long and hard the transition to democracy can prove to be.  We have seen our neighbor, Iraq, torn apart by courtly war and anarchy after its inhibitory government was thrown from power.  If the Saudi government disappeared overnight, I fear that our country could very well suffer from these same curses.  For this reason, a violent overthrow of the government would not be a good idea.  Iraq has shown us that authoritarianism is preferable to anarchy, because at least dictators can thwart massive terrorist attacks.\r\nThe answer does not lie in violent overthrow of the Saudis, and it also does not lie in radical Islamists.  We are all Muslims here, it is true.  Islam was born in Arabia.  The prophet lived and died here.  Mecca and Medina are here.  We are the very cradle of Islam.  However, we cannot allow radical Muslims to take power from the Sau dis.\r\nI have simple desires, my friend.  Like most people on earth of every racetrack and religion, I want simply to live my action in freedom and dignity and be able to provide for my loved ones.  We have seen that radical Islamists, even though they claim to share our religion, are merchants of demise only; from everything I have seen, it seems clear that they are more interested in killing people, by and large fellow Muslims, than they are in governing.\r\nAs much as I dislike the Saudis, I know deep down that radical Islamists would be worse.  They would in all likelihood be even more violent and repressive towards the people than the Saudis are.  The most radical Islamists wish to return Arabia to a 7th century state of â€Å" honesty”.  They feel that this is the ideal environment for Muslims.  They wish to refurbish a world before oil, a world before mass communication and entertainment, a world before America.  This is a very dark wish.  We should not be naïve about what radical Islamists would do to our country should they ever gain power.\r\nThe solution, I feel, lies with defend Islamists.  Islam must be the focus of any reform, because the mosque is the only power center of any substance other than the Saud family.  There is no independent civil society here because of all the restrictions on speech and governmental participation.  The mosque is the only place that people can freely gather and organize.\r\nAs I said above, friend, we are Muslims, and any reform in our land must be Islamist to some degree; it is inevitable.  The important grammatical construction then is to ensure that reform is directed through mince clerics rather radical Islamists.  We need Muslim leaders to direct the push for reform, but not the Muslims who wish to turn back the clock by 13 centuries!\r\nMy vision of a government of curb Islamist clerics and scholars has many components.  Firstly, they would stop trying to buy off radical groups and start adopting a more moderate interpretation of Islam than the Wahabis.  This new government would recognize that when you give arms and funding to radical groups, these groups will of necessity turn on you.\r\nAs we know, friend, our land is the fancy of Islam, and any government we have will be accountable for maintaining the sacred places and providing for all the Muslims who make the periodical pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.  We must also, however, read that many Muslims think to Arabia for inspiration and Arabia therefore must be responsible with its influence and must not support radical and violent groups who kill in the name of our great religion.\r\nMore moderate clerics are the best candidates to lead the new Arabia for many reasons.  They are educated and have experience with leadership and organization in the community.  Because of this experience, we can be confident that the clerics will be effective as stewards of t he state.  Equally as important, they are respected by the society.  One of the many lessons we have knowledgeable from Iraq is that a new government must be made up of people with deep root in the communities they represent.\r\nThe first task of a more moderate government would be to write a constitution.  This is an extremely important step, as I’m sure you have learned by visit the United States.  An Arabian constitution would be much different from the American one, of course, but the concept is the same.  Laws and rights must be enshrined by a binding papers rather than being up to the whims of a king.\r\nAn Arabian constitution might make more dwell for religion than the American one does, for example, or grant fewer individual rights to citizens, but it would serve a very important function.  It would represent a power greater than the king.  It would provide a list of things that the government cannot do.  These would include such elementar y abuses as smash without warrant or charge, torture, and suppression of media.  For the first time in Arabia, there would be a stipulate on the powers of the government.\r\nThis may perhaps seem like a very limited step, but count on what a large one it would be for our country!  Arabia today is ruled as the property of a single family; the country itself is named after the al-Sauds!  Can you pretend if the United States was called â€Å"Bush America”?  This is no way for a country to be run.\r\nI commit the friends you are making in America understand that Arabia will never be like America.  However, I believe that some American ideas, combined with moderate Arabian intellectuals, offers the best hope for our country.  Be well, friend.\r\nSources\r\nCleveland, William L.  A History of the Modern Middle East,\r\nsecond edition.  boulder: Westview Press, 2000.\r\nHiro, Dilip.  The Essential Middle East: A all-inclusive Guide.\r\nNew York: Car ol & Graff Publishers, 2003.\r\nHusain, Mir Zohair.  Global Islamic Politics, second edition.\r\nNew York: Longman, 2003.\r\n \r\n \r\n'