An Intern’s View of Saudi Arabia’s Political Structure and its Influence in the World

Charles Jedlicka, Intern Research Assistant

Prior to my internship with The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, my knowledge regarding The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was only slightly more than that of the average American. As a current Political Science student at Old Dominion University, my studies have exposed me to the fundamentals of Saudi Arabia; including, the political and economic power of its vast oil reserves, the religious significance of its housing the two holiest cities in Islam – Mecca and Medina, and its historically strategic alliance with the United States. Nevertheless, since joining The Center, almost three months ago, I have come to realize how uninformed I was. The archaic and draconian political system present in Saudi Arabia not only serves to repress millions of Saudi citizens, but is a danger to the democratic values and freedom of choice present throughout the free world.

While there is prevalent discussion among policy experts in Washington concerning Saudi human rights violations, the US Government is hesitant to push the House of Saud towards real reform in fear of disrupting the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf which may be caused by any political instability. The US’ intentional blindness towards Saudi oppression of its own citizens and its continued support of the Saudi Monarchy for the sake of political stability reminds me of the time when the US supported the Shah of Iran. US policy makers would do well, however, to remember the result of the Shah’s unwillingness to reform - a violent revolution and the instillation of a religious theocracy. In addition, the American people need to be made aware of how the foreign and domestic policies of Saudi Arabia are affecting them. The American government, inline with its current democracy doctrine, needs to pressure the Saudi Monarchy to enact real, not superficial, reforms towards creating democratic institutions which may reduce extremism by enhancing the quality of life for its citizens and others throughout the region; consequently the rest of the world. Read more

As I read, attend meetings and learn more about Saudi Arabia, I am learning just how suffocating the ruling family’s grip on Saudi Arabia and its people is; an absolute monarchy significantly more authoritarian and controlling than any pre-enlightenment Europian state. The government, under the House of Saud, controls every aspect of a citizen’s life; failure to conform to the strict religious laws governing The Kingdom, as interpreted by a small cadre of ulama (a group of austere religious men), results in life long stigmatization, unemployment, incarceration, or worse. The House of Saud is propped up and given legitimacy by the clerics in Saudi Arabia. The state religion is Wahhabism, an uncompromising sect of Islam that is inherently anti-western and anti-democratic. In return for turning a blind eye to the government’s lavish spending of state funds and other hypocritical policies, the clerics are rewarded monetarily and granted religious authority to carry out the government’s policies of intimidation, spying and forced conformity. Religious zealots have turned the strictness and lack of opportunity in Saudi society into a worldwide problem.

Lack of non-religious education limits employment opportunities for the average Saudi citizen breeding resentment among the population towards the rest of the world that is quickly passing them by. Clerics enhance this resentment through blistering speeches that condemn “the West” and blame it for all of the Saudi people’s woes. Anger, produced by the feeling of hopelessness, generates extremism. So as not to turn this extremism against them, the Saudi government creates an outlet by willfully providing support and funding to religious extremists who in turn export their ideology across the globe.

Since coming to Washington, I have continuously heard evidence of the methods in which the Saudi system undermines democratic values. At a roundtable discussion, Dr. Kamal Hossain - a Bangladeshi Parliament member, former Supreme Court Justice, and author of the country’s secular constitution - revealed that “petrodollars” from the Arabian Peninsula were helping finance fundamentalist religious schools and arm militant extremists that have recently taken root in his country, one which was previously void of this sort of violence and intolerance.

During a congressional staff briefing titled “Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Russia”, I witnessed members of The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom attest to the fact that a large number of Imams in Russia’s Muslim population had been trained in Saudi Arabia. This has led to increasing trends in Islamic extremism in Russia and the former Soviet Republics; most notably Chechnya, where resistance to Russian forces - traditionally led by nationalist separatists - is now largely commanded by Islamic extremists who use increasingly violent means against civilian populations.

During a lecture at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright condemned the Saudi Government for its religious oppression. She also expressed her opinion that the meetings at Camp David, during President Clinton’s term, were largely unsuccessful due to the fact that Yasser Arafat was unable to make large concessions without Saudi approval. With the current violence in southern Lebanon, the fact that the Saudi’s undermined this opportunity for peace makes it even more tragic.

Currently the Saudi’s are calling for the disarmament of Hezbollah, not because they seek to promote peace or democracy in Lebanon, but rather, because they view Hezbollah as an agent of Iran. The Saudi Monarchy and its Wahabi clerics view themselves as the protectors of the pure and true form of Islam. Iran, with its influence over the Shiite Muslims in the Middle East, is viewed as the largest obstacle to Saudi political hegemony in the region and religious authority over Muslims world wide.