The struggle between reformers and religious fanatics in Saudi Arabia continues. Leading Wahhabi cleric Sheihk Abdurrahman al-Baraak called for the deaths of journalists Abdullah bin Bijad Al-Otaibi and Yusuf Abu al-Khayl after they published articles in Al-Riyadh newspaper, questioning the view that Christians and Jews are unbelievers. While in most nations this would be viewed as an interesting question for a scholastic debate, Abdurrahman al-Baraak would like it to end in a double beheading. Bin Nijad wrote an article entitled, “The Islam of the Sharia and the Islam of Struggle” and Abu al-Khayl wrote an article entitled “The Other in the Islamic Balance.” Not exactly racey stuff, but the fatwa declares them both to be un-Islamic and states that “those who are against the Islam should be judged to repent, otherwise they should be killed and denied the burial rituals.” This follows a series of similar stories of medieval responses by religious extremists in the Kingdom, click here and here For the full story, click here.
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One has to wonder why any rational journalist would want to remain in the hard-line Islamic countries where the smallest kind of disagreement puts them at risk of capital punishment. While I sympathize with and admire their bravery in their desire to educate and inform their countrymen (women included as well), I question why they have to put their own lives at risk. Is it because they want to remain, or because it is so difficult to leave these countries that they have no option but to remain? I ask because I honestly don’t know.
We could always ask “DR” Sami Al-Arian what he thinks couldn’t we.
I’m certain that dateline is wrong. It is March 31, 1008!
Susan,
I can only speak to your question by giving you answers I’ve heard from other people who were similarly situated in their religion and or country. The people I know are willing to risk death because they are absolutely committed to change in their religion and/or nation. Many people do leave after a time because the stress of being under a death sentence is too much to bear or they might have friends or family whose lives they will not risk, even if they might be willing to risk their own.
Jill
Susan:
There are remarkably brave journalists and women who are fighting for reform in the Kingdom. This is a country with a very large population of educated people, who privately complain about the restrictions. The fight of these reporters and feminists often make the work of civil libertarians in Western countries appear trivial in comparison.
It will be interesting to watch as Saudi Arabia struggles with these modern reforms and archaic traditions. For reformers, however, there will remain tremendous dangers during any transition into more modern laws and tolerant policies.