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(Washington) October 2, 2003 … Over 300 Saudi women and men published the 2nd reform demands September 24th that was sent to Crown Prince Abdallah.
51 women signed on the demands which asked for direct elections, end of corruption, human rights, and popular participation in political power.
This translation of the demands was compiled by the Saudi Institute from Arabic and translation made by Gwenn Okruhlik and Yara Youssef.
Translation of Reform Demands to Crown Prince Abdullah
Riyadh, on 27 Rajab 1424 (24 September 2003)
In the name of Allah most Gracious Most Merciful
His Royal Highness Prince Abdallah Bin AbdelAziz
Crown Prince and President of the National Guard May God Preserve Him.
Peace be upon you with the mercy of God and his blessings
We are happy on this dear national day to send to your generous highness the most beautiful congratulations and benedictions in conjunction with the deepest meanings of loyalty and appreciation, praying God (mighty and sublime be He) to help you in all what you are doing for the progress and prosperity of this country.
Your Highness,
We are glad to present you our position, crystallized in the attached petition titled "In Defense of the Nation," and expresses the signatories condemnation of all kinds of violence and terrorism to which our country is subjected to, and at the same time demand the necessary start of implementing the process of radical and total reform to all our constitutional, political, economical, and social institutions, because this is the wholesome practical answer to all challenges we live through in the present and the future.
May God preserve you, and may He guide you towards what is good and progressive for this precious country.
Peace be upon you
Riyadh, on 27 Rajab 1424 (24 September 2003)
In the name of Allah most Gracious Most Merciful
"In defense of the nation"
Our country is witnessing increasing violent acts that utilize weapons and bloodshed as a means to prove its existence and impose its points of view instead of words and dialogue, which will yield major damage to national security and social stability and civil peace.
And in such difficult circumstances, in which our country faces the toughest internal and external challenges, expressing refusal and condemnation to all kinds of extremism and violence becomes a national, political, moral, and cultural necessity.
And based upon our belief that we are partners -both people and government- in preserving the stability, security, and unity of our country, we are all required to take our responsibility and review our steps and admit that our delaying in adopting fundamental reforms and ignoring popular participation in decision-making have been the main reasons that helped the fact that our country reached this dangerous turn, and this is why we believe that denying the natural rights of the political, cultural, and intellectual society to express its opinions has led to the dominance of a certain way of thinking that is unable to dialogue with others because of its inherent nature. This thinking, does not reflect the tolerance and temperance of Islam nor does it reflects its enlightened trends, and have helped create the terrorist and takfiri ideology that still afflict our country with its fire.
Confronting terrorism cannot be achieved through security means and solutions alone, but with a thorough diagnosis of the political, social, economical, and cultural factors behind it, and by the immediate start in implementation of the political and economic reforms, that have been developed through many suggestions, opinions, and demands that were expressed in the writings and communiqués of those involved in the public affairs of our country, one of them being the document of " A Vision to the Present and Future of Our Country," -the National Reform Document- which was submitted to his Royal Highness (May God Preserve him) last January, and which included the demand of constructing the constitutional institutions in the government, allowing for popular participation in decision-making, and electing the Shoura Council; and enabling this council to enact all its legislative and observational missions as other parliaments do, and implementing the concept of separation of powers, and reinforcing the independence of the judicial branch , and respecting Human Rights, and legalizing the work of civil society institutions; and working on modernizing a religious, informational, cultural, and educational discourse that refuses unilateral and takfiri thinking and claims of monopoly on the truth, but instead contribute to nurturing a pluralistic environment and paves the way towards strengthening the cultural values of compassion and acceptance of the different other, whether it is on the national and Islamic level or the humanistic one. And these ideas and demands express the expectations of the different groups within the Saudi people, and convey-in its totality- a vision shared by the political leadership and numerous national groups.
We also see that eliminating all aspects of administrative corruption and mismanagement of public funds, as well as widening the productive base, and applying the principle of fair redistribution of wealth among all social classes and different regions, in addition to providing practical solutions to the problems of poverty, unemployment, education, healthcare, and housing, and enabling women of practicing their social and economic duties, and other pressing problems, will not be achieved without implementing the total reform demands.
And as we proclaim our condemnation to all kinds of extremism and symbolic or physical violence that seeks to kidnap society and destroy the foundations of the state, we demand from those who participate and instigate these actions to reject all kinds of extremism, violence and terrorism, in words and actions, hoping that this will be taken into account by official authorities, and that they be treated according to fair judicial laws and systems.
On the other hand, we also emphasize our continues demand of the political leadership to announce an encompassing national initiative - that has been long awaited - and to found an independent national organization, comprised from all national groups that reflects the cultural, religious and regional plurality in our country. This to achieve the necessary mechanisms that will place, the demands of constitutional, political, economic, and social reforms, at the implantation phase, and move from adopting the bath of reforms to the execution and implementing stage according to a publicized timetable.
May God preserve our country and her people from any harm and May He direct her towards the path of goodness. |
