Saudi Arabia is a monarchy with no discernable constitution, political parties, or elected officials. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 27 million people (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). Males, ages 24 to 54, comprise the largest group within this population. Thier chief language is Arabic and their religion is predominantly Muslim; although, individuals with other religious beliefs do inhabit the region. Those individuals considered non-Muslim face discrimination and persecution and are not permitted to maintain independent places of worship (McGuigan, 2014). Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest exporters of petroleum and controls approximately 16% of the world’s oil reserves (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2014).
The people of Saudi do not enjoy the same rights as citizens of the United States do. Saudi Arabia has agreed to consent to some International standards; such as, The Convention on the Rights of a Child and The Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination; however, refuses to endorse any part thereof that may conflict with Islamic law (Amnesty International, 2000). These agreements are simply the tip of the iceberg as Saudi Arabia’s government must devise a plan of action that will ensure the execution of any new laws employed. Consequently, they must find a way to certify that these laws are adhered to throughout the country. To accomplish this they will be required to implement training and education programs so that authorities will be properly equipped to apply the laws so that individual rights will be protected.
Saudi Arabia has a court hierarchy similar to that of the United States; although, its presence boggles the mind as it appears to serve no useful purpose. Ultimately, the M...
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...rieved May 13, 2014, from http://www.hrw.org: http://www.hrw.org/node/62304/section/3
McGuigan, B. (2014). Culture & Religion of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://traveltips.usatoday.com: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/culture-religion-saudi-arabia-15694.html
Mongabay. (2000-2013). Saudi Arabia-Criminal Justice System. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://www.mongabay.com: http://www.mongabay.com/history/saudi_arabia/saudi_arabia-criminal_justice_system.html
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. (2014, April 10). The World Factbook. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from https://www.cia.gov: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
U.S. Department of State. (2002, March 4). Saudi Arabia: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://www.state.gov: http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/nea/8296.htm
The place of women in Saudi society is determined by a deeply conservative culture, vindicated by a narrow interpretation of religion, and enforced by law. That place it would appear is at home, subservient to and legally dependant on their male guardian. Saudi society suffers from pervasive segregation along gender lines and women's freedom of movement is impeded, forcing them to rely on male chaperons.
Firstly, gender discrimination is not an exclusive feature of Saudi Arabia, but it is a more outwardly visible problem there. Gender discrimination and male superiority are most visible in Saudi Arabian culture because “inhabitants of the region where the Arabic language predominates are, despite their diversity, bound into a singular cultural unit with a particular gender system” (Tucker VII). If one group of Arabic individuals hold misogynistic views, or thinks that males are the superior gender, it is very likely that other Arabic individuals will as well. Individuals of the Arabic culture, regardless of their location share a particularly conservative and traditional set of moral beliefs the same way Christians from America may share similar beliefs with Christians from Europe. One belief most Saudi’s have in common is their “conservative view toward women” (Al-Mannai 82). Middle Eastern individuals know what behaviors to expect from each gender, and what each gender should and should not do. An effect of holding such a belief is that a man’s role in Saudi Arabia tends to be one of dominance and power; the male is the ruler ...
Saudi Arabia may be rich in oil, but it is richer still in fundamentalist Islamic sentiment. If one accepts the postmodern concept of delocalized topical boundaries between states, then in economic terms Saudi Arabia clearly lies on what Samuel P. Huntington has aptly called the "bloody borders" (55) of Islam, occupying a key commercial juncture between the Arab world and the United States. The Saudi regime has long "engaged in a deadly dance with religious extremism" (Zakaria 276), burying its failures in strong support for a highly conservative form of Islam (271) which views "the modern world and non-Muslims with great suspicion" (272), creating an external other to bolster internal unity.
Zunes, Stephen. "Bahrain's Arrested Revolution." Arab Studies Quarterly 35.2 (2013): 149-64. JSTOR. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. .
Within Islam, there are sects, namely Sunni and Shi’a, and within those sects are different schools of thought. Salafism (from the word salaf, meaning to “follow” or “precede”) is a movement, rooted in Sunni Islam, based on a literalist, fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. These Muslims rely solely on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions as guides for correct Islamic practice. Everything else, they deem impure innovation. Following the same ideology, but specific to Saudi Arabia, is Wahhabism. Wahhabism has a fairly negative connotation within the Western world; however, this sect was highly influential and continues to be esteemed by the royal Saudi family.
"The World Factbook" Central Intelligence Agency. 01 2013. The Work of a Nation. 11 2013 .
Souryal, S., (1988) “The Role of the Shari’ah Law in Determining Criminality in Saudi Arabia” – International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice.
Saudi Arabia is one of largest Muslim populated Countries in the world, which follows the Islamic culture. The laws are called “Laws of God”, which are apparently interpreted from the Quran. The “Laws of God” is also known as the Sharia laws. The Sharia laws have great impact on Saudi Arabian women, Muslim citizens and Non-Muslim expatiates. Women of Saudi Arabia have limited rights based on the countries Islamic beliefs. However, they are gradually making progress to uplifting some restrictions. Muslim citizens have rigorous rules set in place as well. Furthermore, Non- Muslim citizens are stripped of their rights to Freedom of Religion.
At the height of the Arab Springs movement conflict began to boil over into Saudi Arabia causing the women in this country to realize that this was their opportunity to radically speak up against the injustices they faced, one of the major issues at the forefront of their concerns being their right to drive. In response to this outcry King Abdullah, the King of Saudi Arabia, granted women the right to vote in 2015 and to become members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia also referred to as the Shura Council. This caused the rest of the world to ponder his intentions in doing so. In this paper I will be exploring if in fact this really is a giant leap forward towards women’s rights or merely a gimmick for the monarchy to keep power in the increasing volatile Middle East or, both. In an effort to answer this question I will be discussing the public opinion of King Abdullah’s decision , the recent Arab springs movement in Saudi Arabia and the case of Manal al-Shariff , which led to the w...
...gely by religious values: Conservative dress, conservative literature, and conservative behavior. Freedom of political and religious expression is not allowed, and diversions like dancing, or movies, activities are almost nonexistence in Saudi Arabia. As it has been for centuries, the cultural and political life of Saudi Arabia continues to be expressed in terms of Islamic principles.
Saudi Arabia, the leader of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies), maintains a powerful position in negotiations with the U.S. and other countries. Its vast supply of oil directly effects per barrel pricing and is a unique bargaining tool in international politics. But Saudi Arabia is no ordinary country in today's world. Its borders are governed by a royal family of nearly 30,000 individuals, all of which share most of the wealth and almost all of the power. Its people, with foreign exceptions, are wholly Islamic and many practice the faith with a frightening sense of devotion. And despite the immense revenue generated by its oil reserves, part of its population still lives in absolute poverty. Although recently it has seen immense change, it is still a country fair behind the progressive world.
...ure but done little to end the problem. Saudi Arabia like most others countries simply agrees to such doctrines for political reasons. But because there is no way to secure their actions, the Saudis are free to do as they please. The convention is making small steps to fully eradicate the problem of torture in Saudi Arabia.
...Arabia is a petrostate. Oil dominates the national economy, international exports, and the nation’s politics. It has greatly shaped what the kingdom is today. Having started out as somewhat of a tourist economy, the kingdom has become a world, monetary power. From their massive amounts of oil and extremely cheap production, the country has been able to gain large amounts of affluence and political power. With its large abundance of oil, the country has been able to profit immensely on sales and spur diplomatic outcomes to their benefit due to the great need of the resource. Without the discovery oil, Saudi Arabia would be of little importance in the modern world, having the Grand Mosque be the extent of its importance. But because of its discovery of oil, Saudi Arabia became of international importance, coming to be one of the greatest assets to world superpowers.
In summary, Saudi Arabia is a conservative country and the debate about should women drive has shown us that people are at the edge of changing. Women have every right to drive and the government should take some serious steps to make that happen. It should allow them to drive while satisfying both sides because each side has valid points, and the only way this is going to work is new laws that assure women can safely drive.
according to the 2009 human rights watch report Shia citizens in Saudi Arabia "face systemic discrimination in religions" also discriminated in education, justice, and employment