Archive for the ‘Saudi Arabia’ Category

Mixing of the Sexes in Saudi Arabia

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Our discussion in class this morning about the absence of a central religious authority in Islam and the resultant proliferation of fatwas and counter-fatwas comes at a time when such questions have risen again in Saudi Arabia:

The Economist.com, “The Politics of Fatwas: You’re Either With Us or Against Us,” Sep. 3, 2010

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah attracted attention last year by appearing in a photograph with a group of women attending a conference.  See: Lara Setrakian, “Saudi King and Crown Prince Photographed With Women,” ABC News.com, May 3, 2010

Change is in the Air for the Arab World

Monday, July 19th, 2010

The Economist is featuring a series of reports on its website (dated July 15, 2010) profiling the political futures of three key Arab countries: Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.  The author of the piece on Egypt is NMH alumnus Max Rodenbeck. 

Go to the reports

The July 17, 2010 issue of The Economist features a “Special Report On Egypt” containing much more.  This report is accessible via ProQuest on the NMH Virtual Desktop to members of the NMH community

More on Egypt

More on Lebanon

More on Saudi Arabia

Review of Two New Books on Saudi Arabia

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

The Economist, “Books and Arts: Saudi Arabia, The Struggle for its Soul,”  March 27, 2010, Vol. 394, Iss. 8675,  pg. 91 (via ProQuest and the NMH Virtual Desktop)

The Books:

Robert Lacey, Inside the Kingdom (Hutchinson, 2010)

Thomas Hegghammer, Jihad in Saudi Arabia (IDG, 2010)

Saudi Terror Plot Suspects Arrested

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

On Thursday, March 25th, there were more than 100 arrests of people that were suspected of having links with Al-Qaeda. These people were supposedly plotting attacks on security and oil installations in the Saudi kingdom. Out of these people that were arrested, there were 11 Saudis and one Yemeni. Many suspects were arrested in the southern province of Jazan, which is near the border with Yemen.
In October, there were two al-Qaeda fighters that tried to enter Saudi Arabia, dressed as women. This is when the network was first suspected of illegal and suspicious activity.
During this massive arrest, there were many cameras, weapons, documents and computers that were taken out of the possession of the men. These people were granted access and entry into the country because they had told officials that tey were looking for work or going to visit holy sites in Medina and Mecca.
At the moment, the investigaters do not know which oil installations were being targeted, and whether they were foreign or Saudi owned. The investigators were able to see that these men were going to perform suicide attacks, by the use of explosive belts.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/03/2010324131416372358.html

Saudi To Grant Women Court Access

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

This article is about a possibility of Saudi women to be able to represent females in court trials. At the moment, Saudi Arabian women are not allowed to come into contact at all with men, and therefore are not allowed to represent anyone who is on trial. There is a new law that may be passed in Saudi government that states that Saudi women can argue “family related cases, including divorce and child custody”.  Female lawyers will only be able to represent other Saudi women who are on trial, but this indeed is a huge step for Saudi Arabia and the advancement of women. The article also states that the Saudi legal system is going to have a network of specialized courts, where female lawyers are allowed to practice. At this point in time, female lawyers are only allowed to work behind the scenes, due to the fact that all judges in Saudi Arabia’s legal system are male religious clerics. There should be an update within a few days to see the status of this possible new law that may surface in Saudi Arabia.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/02/201022117114465818.html

Education in the Arab World: To What End?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

That’s the question Thomas Friedman raises in another piece written this week from Yemen (“It’s All About Schools,” New York Times Op-Ed piece, Feb. 10, 2010).   Should Arab schools teach courses aimed at building real world skills and critical thinking,  or, fundamentalist Islam (which in Saudi Arabia and Yemen usually means the puritanical Wahhabi strain)? 

More on Wahhabism

“House of Saud” NPR Frontline Film

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

We will watch this film on Friday, Feb. 5 and Monday, Feb. 8. 

Resources for the PBS film “House of Saud”

See also (via ProQuest and the NMH Virtual Desktop): Lawrence Wright, “The Kingdom of Silence,” The New Yorker, Jan. 15, 2004

See also the Saudi Arabia archive on this blog.

HMEDB chronology for Saudi Arabia

HMEDB page on the Wahhabis

Saudis Accused of Mounting Air Raid in North Yemen

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Saudi Arabia has been helping the government of Yemen in its efforts to put down a rebellion in northern Yemen by Houthi insurgents, who are members of the minority Zaydi Shia sect.   The rebellion began in August.  The Houthis are accusing the Saudis of mounting an air raid against their positions. 

Story at BBC

Innovative High Tech University Opening in Saudi Arabia

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

The opening of a new university in Saudi Arabia, where the two sexes will be allowed to mix (to some degree at least), is a clear departure from the national ethos for that country.  Some Wahhabi clerics are not sure.  

Story from the BBC

More on Saudi Arabia

Human Rights Watch Cites Saudi Arabia for Discrimination Against Shiites

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Human Rights watch has charged predominantly Wahhabi Sunni  Saudi Arabia with systematically violating the rights of Shiites living in the country.  Shiites number 10-15% of Muslims worldwide. 

Story at BBC

More on Shiites

More on Saudi Arabia

More on Wahhabism