“The (Saudi) regime has true intentions about reform, but there is no evidence of genuine steps on the ground leading to that direction,” said al-Awaji

By Abdul Raheem Ali, IOL Correspondent

CAIRO, May 16 (IslamOnline.net) – The triple explosions that rocked the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday, May 12, pushed to the surfaced again debates on the need for more political and social reforms in the kingdom.

It stirred debates in and outside the kingdom on whether the new situation would be an impetus for long-awaited comprehensive reforms or would shelve all such chances with the government focusing on battling the so-called “jihadists.”

“The (Saudi) regime has true intentions about reform, but there is no evidence of genuine steps on the ground leading to that direction,” said Mohsen al-Awaji, the World Campaign For Resisting Aggression spokesman told IslamOnline.net in exclusive statements over the phone.

He stressed the Saudi government tentatively received  the agenda for reforms, but “still has no concrete plans for putting them into motion.”

Some analysts believe that since at least eight Americans were kill in the Monday attack, this might push Washington press Riyadh for more reforms on the political scene.

“(U.S. Secretary of State) Colin Powell planned during his visit, that coincided with the blasts, to meet with some of the country’s political figures to probe the situation of civil society here,” al-Awaji recalled.

He regretted that members of moderate Islamic trends were excluded from the meeting which was cancelled after the shocking bombings.

“The reforms could not be launched with the exclusion of some of the national factions. All groups should be represented,” al-Awaji added.

He concluded that “the latest events would push (the regime) towards practical reform steps taking into account the agendas of all political powers, including the moderate Islamic trend, on institutionalizing democracy, religious tolerance and freedom of speech, values which are badly needed in the kingdom.”

But fears still fever that the slow pace of reform measures had given “jihadists” the opportunity to implement their own agenda, moderate Saudi lawyer Abdel-Aziz al-Qassem told IOL, anticipating the new developments would affect anticipated reform steps for the time being.

With the U.S.-led aggression against Iraq and the continued occupation of Palestinian territories by U.S. all-time ally Israel, anti-American sentiments thrived in the kingdom, something al-Qassem warned might be exploited by “jihadists” to push forth their ambitions for armed struggle.

He denied, however, there was popular support for the “jihadist” plans and agenda among Saudis.

Qassem underlined the need for social and political openness allowing participation of society, in an organized way, to create an alternative to violence and armed struggle.

“Reforms must also be a common request for the government, the people and varied political faction,” lawyer Mohamed Sayyed Tayeb, a Saudi liberal, told IslamOnline.net in exclusive statements.

He said the latest bombings should act as a positive impetus to accelerate reforms.

Tayeb noted that the potential for making reforms are already present, and “what is really needed is an administration as obstinate as serious.”

Impossible

“Reforms are associated with other closed files on political, social and economic issues the ruling regime could not open,” noted Faqih

Other Saudi intellectuals went pessimistic as how tangible the steps to be taken down the road of reforms in Saudi Arabia.

“They are impossible, given that reforms are associated with other closed files on political, social and economic issues the ruling regime could not open,” Dr. Saad al-Faqih, head of the London-based Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia  (MIRA), told IOL over the phone.

“The U.S. also prefers an autocracy at helm of power in order to facilitate,”  securing its interests, he charge, citing the Turkish government as a self-evident example.

“In spite of mounting pressures, the U.S. failed to impose its decisions on the Turkish government given the democratic margin in the country,” said Faqih.

He argue that the only reform possible is in areas like education and religious curricula with the aim of “serving the American interests and schemes.”

The only way-out for the kingdom is to “backtrack on cooperation with the U.S., rupturing all ties with America and expelling its experts and military personnel from the holy land,” Mohamed El-Musaari, an exiled Saudi opposition leader, told IOL.

“The situation in the country will not be under control unless there are overall political and social reforms,” he contended.