The Winds Of Change

In the heart of Saudi Arabia, our nation stands on the brink of substantial social, cultural, and economic changes. These noticeable shifts affect every aspect of our daily lives, directly impacting both citizens and residents. Sometimes, these changes bring feelings of renewed hope and celebration, while at other times, they present new intellectual and emotional challenges that were previously unfamiliar to us.

Adapting to this fundamental shift from traditional routines to new, evolved ways inevitably presents challenges. It disrupts the human behavioral patterns, lifestyles, and philosophies that have been ingrained in us over the years through education, habits, and core concepts that guide our actions.

At first glance, it might seem that these transformations could be quickly implemented with a decisive ruling from the King or a government decision. However, reality echoes the numerous complex stories of human history, filled with difficult experiences, victories, defeats, and even wars in the quest for change. Navigating this path is indeed challenging and lengthy, yet it is an inherent part of human existence and the cyclical nature of life.

Nothing That It Seems

In this tempest of transformation and swift evolution, many individuals find themselves unmoored, their perceptions clouded by those who adeptly reinterpret the essence of change for their own benefit. These manipulators, entrenched in political and institutional spheres, seek to shape decision-making processes and sway the collective consciousness of society, striving for control and supremacy. A particularly profound subject for exploration is the women’s and feminist movements within Saudi society.

It is essential to recognize that a nuanced boundary exists, complicating the concepts of equity from both individual and religious perspectives. This boundary forms the crux of the relationship between women's and feminist movements and liberal ideologies, which advocate for a reconfiguration of sacred constants to align with their aspirations and beliefs.

Many fail to grasp that Islam stands as the sole faith that provides its adherents with a comprehensive framework for living, establishing firm guidelines for engagement with the world.

A pervasive lack of deep understanding of Islam leads many to conflate the immutable laws of the Quran with contemporary edicts or shared laws, which are often shaped more by individual thinkers, political ideologies, and social trends than by genuine religious authority.

For instance, feminist organizations advocate for absolute gender parity, even in inheritance laws, where the Quran prescribes distinct shares for each gender. To alter such a law is to reject the Quran, which, in essence, amounts to a renunciation of the faith itself.

Throughout history, a contentious struggle has persisted between religion and intellectualism, with each side requiring adherents to bolster their social standing and influence.

The most vulnerable targets for such manipulation are those in distress or need—individuals more inclined to believe and be swayed—who find their circumstances exploited to distort their beliefs, often unwittingly ensnaring them in a web of deception.

As we move forward, I intend to examine each week a topic raised by these organizations, illuminating their objectives, motivations, and hidden agendas, supported by rational discourse and empirical evidence. My aspiration is to guide those in pursuit of truth, equipping them with knowledge to prevent them from becoming unwitting victims of manipulation.

End Male Guardianship Campaigning

This incendiary topic, the issue of guardianship over women, is often the fodder of numerous organizations. It's a theme that attracts human rights bodies, women's rights groups, feminists, liberals, and religious figures. Are we accurately grasping the underlying essence of guardianship in Islamic tenets and the implications therein? For a Westerner, the term "guardianship" elicits thoughts of legal proceedings instituted when an individual can no longer safeguard themselves or their belongings, or when said individual is considered vulnerable to exploitation or manipulation. In this context, it is perceived as a constraint on personal freedoms. However, within the Islamic context, guardianship operates within familial structures: it speaks to a mother's care of her children or a husband's responsibility towards his family, ensuring their welfare and safety.

Some societies perpetuate tribal structures and laws that, if ignored by their governments, can render the governance of these tribes difficult, if not impossible. As a result, tribal norms and cultural codes often infiltrate governmental regulations. These entrenched norms cannot simply be overturned for the benefit of a few without causing widespread conflict. Unfortunately, these customs can mean that uninformed women are susceptible to manipulation and control by men who use the guise of religion for personal gain.

The law prohibits women from traveling without a "Muharram" — a male relative to whom marriage is forbidden, such as a brother, father, or husband. This rule can vary depending on certain circumstances, but there is no specification that a guardian's permission is required. Yet, due to cultural norms, such consent is often demanded by local laws.

It's distressing that some individuals, trapped in unfortunate situations, bear the brunt of a misinterpretation of guardian laws, twisted by convention rather than based on Islamic principles. In fact, according to a report by Human Rights Watch, on April 21, 2008, titled "Perpetual Minors," Saudi Arabia was criticized for its "guardianship" system, which was, and still is, considered oppressive towards women. However, one begs the question of the metrics and standards used by the Human Rights Watch to assemble their conclusions.

The definition of human rights varies across societies and cultures because the notion of such rights is inherently tied to our perceptions. If ethical principles and social norms that underline human behavior are accepted as fundamental rights, then Islamic or tribal laws could also be seen as human rights, based on their societal norms. Yet, such a perspective might cause a schism when perceived from a perspective outside these societies.

Sensible Saudi men support measures that ensure the rights of their female counterparts — sisters, wives, mothers, and daughters — as long as those measures align with the immovable precepts of Islam. The prevalent ignorance of these teachings, unfortunately, often leads individuals to align with misguided institutions that aim to disrupt societal harmony in the name of change and women's rights.

One interesting fact that isn't widely recognized is that if a guardian fails to perform daily prayers, he loses his qualification as a guardian. If a woman can prove before a court of law that a man fails to adhere to Islamic teachings and perpetrates sinful acts, he is deemed unfit as a guardian. Islam permits a woman to act as her own guardian if she has no suitable male relatives or if she's not a minor.

However, the quest for untamed freedoms — unrestricted parties, relationships without marital commitment, gay rights, freedom of dress or expression, and the liberty to criticize Islam — can never be condoned in a conservative Islamic nation. Such liberties advanced by organizations mask under the banner of protecting victimized individuals, using their grievances to disseminate their ideologies. It's vital to empathize with those who, clouded by ignorance of their religious doctrine, yearn for respite from the hardships of daily life. Regrettably, they often serve as pawns in a political game, manipulated by figureheads who exploit their pain. May they find the divine guidance they need.

Choose Your Own Path

Many advocates of traditional Saudi customs, predominantly women, express concern over the influx of Western influences, particularly in terms of religion. They argue that the West should respect religious distinctions. Despite exhibiting little interest in participating in electoral matters, these women maintain a perspective deeply rooted in authentic Islamic traditions. They perceive the spread of Western values in their society as a threat, fearing that Saudi women may become objectified, replicating the status of various Western women, rather than preserving their dignity and identity as women of their faith.

In the Global Gender Gap Report of 2009, Saudi Arabia placed 119th out of 134 countries for gender parity in facets such as employment, education, and political engagement. Remarkably, it was the only nation to score zero in the political empowerment section in 2008. However, in the years following, the nation has made considerable strides, even outperforming several Arab countries, prompting gender equality advances worldwide. The progress continues as of the first half of 2018, largely in the aspect of political empowerment.

The fraught journey towards these changes, driven by individual objectives or pursuits of personal freedoms, has incited substantial societal debates, from both a conceptual and spiritual standpoint.

Turning to the topic of personality, this is usually characterized by consistent behavioral tendencies, thought processes, and emotional responses, which are nurtured by both biological and environmental elements. The bulk of theories lean towards motivational and psychological interactions with one's situation, though there are some behaviorally-based approaches which mainly view personality as a product of learned behaviors and habits. That said, most theories consider personality traits to be relatively unchanging.

Consequently, your knowledge, habits, and environment continually shape your personality. For instance, if you identify as a liberal, it'd be near impossible to condone any legislation inherently against that mindset, and the same holds for religious individuals.

A shared foundation is imperative to facilitate dialogue and forge relationships between the needs of rights associations and those of religious laws. On the other hand, proponents of unrestricted living argue that religious rules or regulations should not confine life.

Immersion in religious or liberal ideologies can lead to confusion, given the profound clashes in their fundamental principles - this is a given, as these ideas form the bedrock of their respective groups or organizations.

My sincere advice to my loved ones, irrespective of personal convictions, is not to affiliate with any political movements or groups, as their honesty is often found lacking. Rather, avoid taking sides, and be cautious not to be exploited, or allow anyone to trample on your aspirations and convictions to fulfill the agendas of other organizations, regardless of their nature.

It's essential to bear in mind that freedom, though vital, isn't a panacea. Your freedom swings to a halt where another's freedom commences.