Saudi-Wahhabi domination in the Persian Gulf

Because of its centrality to Islam and possession of one quarter of the world's known oil reserves, Saudi Arabia, under its autocrat and theocratic system, plays a major role in Muslims' and non-Muslims' lives.

Dr. Ali Alyami is the founder and executive director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDHR) in Saudi Arabia based in Washington. Dr. Alyami, a political and human rights activist, was a Senior Fellow at the Saudi Institute in Washington, DC, the director of the Educational Peace Program for the American Friends Services Committee in California, and Representative for the Cairo based Arab Organization for Human Rights in North America. Dr. Alyami provides expert briefings for members of US Congress and other officials in the US government.

I had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Alyami about the crucial role a successful Saudi Arabian revolution could play in the Middle East and around the world if the Saudi youth were to follow the same footsteps as their Arab neighbors. We also took a look at what is behind the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain and what it could mean for Iran and the United States.

Dr. Alyami began by telling Islam Times just how influential a Saudi revolution could be, reminding us that “Saudi Arabia is a country of strategic and economic paramount importance to the 1.5 billion Muslims and the industrial nations whose economies could collapse if a major interruption with the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf were to occur. Saudi is also a major producer of zealot and a major financer of religious extremist groups throughout the world, according to State Department’s Wikileaks leaked Documents.”


Islam Times: What’s behind the Saudi intervention in Yemen and Bahrain?

Bahrain, specifically, stands between Saudi Arabia, which is only 12 miles away, and Iran. There are a few scenarios that Saudi could be playing out:
1. Since the majority of Bahrainis are Shia, the Saudi government could possibly be trying to provoke a reaction from Iran to draw the Islamic Republic into a war with Saudi Arabia giving the US an excuse to strike Iran.
2. The Saudi government has been known to divide its own people along religious lines with the intent of dividing the population and turn them against each other to suppress the real political and societal issues that matter. This practice creates animosity between Sunnis and Shias. The majority of Saudi Sunnis view their compatriot Shias as heretics, therefore cannot have the same rights as the majority Sunnis.
3. The Saudi regime could also simply be trying to show their own nation what they are up against if they attempt to revolt against the Saudi government. The intense force they are using against innocent demonstrators is designed to send a message to the Saudi people telling them that the state’s security apparatus will have no mercy on anyone who might try to take to the streets and demonstrate.

It wouldn’t surprise me if all three scenarios combined are why Saudi Arabia intervened in Bahrain. What the Saudi regime needs to understand though, is that the entire Middle East is going through a transformative political process right now and contrary to what the Saudi government is saying or trying to do, there is no doubt that the Saudi people will revolt too. Anything is possible if the people unite and stand up for their legitimate rights.


Islam Times: Do you think the Saudi youth will follow the same footsteps as the youth in other Arab states like Egypt or Tunisia? What will push them to the edge?

A Saudi uprising almost happened on March 11 of this year but because of the intense military presence all over the country, where the military surrounded mosques, streets, homes, markets etc– the military and religious police were out on the streets in every corner to make sure that no one demonstrates even if it is peaceful.

It’s estimated that about 60 to 70 percent of the Saudi population is under the age of 25. Unlike their parents and grandparents, these youth grew up in the internet and social media era with blackberries, computers, satellite TV’s, Facebook and Twitter and chat. They communicate and compare themselves with their counterparts around the globe. They are less fearful from the system and more likely to speak out against their oppressors and demand political participation, social relaxation and religious freedom. Despite the many layers of hurdles the Saudi people face, the day will come when the Saudi people will rise against the Saudi-Wahhabi tyrannical system. It has started in small ways through social media, but now there is no going back.

The youth of Saudi Arabia are very frustrated. They are graduating from universities, but cannot find decent paying jobs and in many cases, no jobs at all. This is not completely accidental especially when Saudi Arabia depends on about seven million expatriates to keep the country’s economy and public services afloat. The youth are financially, socially, politically, psychologically, and even emotionally frustrated. The Saudi people, especially the youth, will reach a breaking point like the people of Egypt and Tunisia. A successful uprising in Saudi Arabia will set an example for the rest of the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Islam Times: What can you tell Islam Times about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violation records?

By my account and by the account of major Human Rights organizations including the UN, international Human Rights groups, and even the Department of State here in the US, they all show that there is no freedom of expression, no religious freedom, women cannot work or go to school or even leave the house without the permission of a male relative (guardianship). All religious minorities are especially oppressed.

There is no religious freedom for anyone including Muslims in Saudi Arabia. Religious rituals are compulsory. People risk being beaten and incarcerated if they don’t stop whatever they are doing and go to pray five times a day, but Islam is not compulsory.

The situation for political prisoners is abysmal. There is no legal system in Saudi Arabia beyond Islamic law as interpreted by the current religious establishment. Many people are taken away or kidnapped from their homes for simple things and thrown into prison without any charges. Some families are denied the right to visit their loved ones for years.

Islam Times: Do you have any records of the unfair treatment of political prisoners in Saudi?

Recently, a Saudi professor, who teaches Islamic Law at the Imam Muhammad University, wrote an article and posted it on his website about the quarrels within the royal family and how it is hurting the Saudi people and their society. The secret police came to his home while he was asleep… took him away and threw him in prison. This is an example of how unjust the political environment in Saudi Arabia really is. It proves that there is no freedom of speech and fair trials in the country.

From the accounts we know of from some unconfirmed reports, prisoners are under some of the most atrocious punishments of abuse including molestation. Prisoners are given an ultimatum not to talk about their experience in prison once they are released or they will be brought back to face only more abuse.

Islam Times: What will it take for the US to stand with the people of the Middle East and not with these oppressive regimes?

Like all countries and individuals, the US has national interests and will deal with who is in power in any country. However, the US understands that its long term interests require real stability and that can be achieved by regimes that share US democratic values. The Obama Administration did well in standing by the Egyptian and Tunisian people during their revolts against their dictators. This trend is more likely to continue, but the change has to come from the people of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East.

Our job as a human rights organization and democracy promoters is to reach out to as many people in the US and Saudi Arabia to encourage people to take a serious look at the situation as it exist and find ways to change it to something better for all parties involved.

We strive to focus completely on human rights and democracy promotion in Saudi Arabia. Democratizing Saudi Arabia can resonate throughout Arab and Muslim countries. Our center focuses on issues important to the people of Saudi Arabia, especially women’s rights, minority rights, religious freedom, expatriates rights, prisoner rights, elections, democracy, and a free-enterprise system. So we promote all the values that make a society stable, safe, prosperous and tolerant of differences.

Our ultimate goal is to bring about ideas for Congress and to the people of Saudi Arabia for a peaceful transition from totalitarianism to a participatory political system, because that is what will bring stability, prosperity, tolerance and respect for human dignity. This is in everyone’s political interest.
© Islam Times