Saudi king orders dismissal of 2 powerful members of religious establishment

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — In an apparent bid to reform the religious establishment, Saudi King Abdullah on Saturday dismissed the head of the feared religious police and a hard-line cleric who issued an edict last year saying it was permissible to kill owners of satellite TV stations that show "immoral" content.

Abdullah also appointed the first female deputy Cabinet minister, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The changes were part of a surprise reshuffle in the Cabinet, the judiciary and the military.

The dismissals were seen as an attempt by the king to reform the religious establishment, which has come under persistent criticism especially because of the performance of the religious police and the judiciary.

The shake-up, the first major one since Abdullah came to power in August 2005, is significant because it dilutes the influence the hard-liners have had for decades on the religious establishment. The king, who has repeatedly spoken about the need for reform, has brought in a new group of officials and scholars who are younger and more in tune with the diversity of cultural Islam than their predecessors.



"They bring not only new blood, but also new ideas," said Jamal Khashoggi, editor of Al-Watan newspaper. "They are more moderate and many are also close to the reform agenda of the king, having worked closely with him."

"The people now in charge are not being ordered to implement reform," he added. "They believe in reform."

The Saudi Press Agency said Abdullah has ordered the re-establishment of the Grand Ulama Commission — a religious scholars body — with 21 members from all branches of Sunni Islam. This is a major shift for the kingdom because it will give more moderate Sunni schools representation in a body that has always been governed by the strict Hanbali sect. No minority Shiites, however, have been appointed to the commission.

Abdul-Aziz bin Humain will replace Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith as head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which runs the religious police, according to the agency.

Bin Humain, who is believed to be more moderate than al-Ghaith, will head a body whose members have been criticized by Saudis for their harsh behavior. The religious police patrol public places to make sure women are covered and not wearing makeup, the sexes don't mingle, shops close five times a day for prayers and men go to the mosque and worship.

While many Saudis say they support the idea of having the commission because its mandate is based on several verses in the Quran, Islam's holy book, they also say its members exploit their broad mandate to interfere in people's lives.

Asked about the criticism, bin Humain sidestepped the question, telling Al-Arabiya TV: "We will seek to achieve the aspirations of the rulers."

Abdullah also removed Sheikh Saleh al-Lihedan, chief of the kingdom's highest tribunal, the Supreme Council of Justice. Al-Lihedan's edict, issued in September, was denounced across the Arab world.

He was replaced by Saleh bin Humaid, who until Saturday served as the head of the Consultative Council, the closest thing the kingdom has to a parliament.

Another major change targets education. The king appointed Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, his son-in-law, as education minister. Khashoggi said Faisal has been working behind the scenes on plans to reform education. After the Sept. 11 attacks, carried out by 19 Arabs, including 15 Saudis, many in the U.S. blamed the Saudi educational system for helping create an atmosphere that justifies extremism.

Noura al-Fayez has been appointed Faisal's deputy for girls' education — the first time a woman has been appointed a deputy minister.

Former Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Abdul-Aziz al-Khoja, will become information minister, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Abdullah al-Rabia, a surgeon who has carried out about a dozen surgeries separating conjoined twins, has been appointed health minister.

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

Why now???

I would say the obvious answer is western pressure, and the fear that the amount of terrorists coming out of their Wahabbist state is starting to alienate them from the rest of the Islamic world who seem to like a little more objectivity when it comes to the raging conflict between Islam and modernity. I would also say they have fears of becoming a target of the west when they run out of Oil and control over increasingly fundamentialist culture..... and that my friend would be a legtimate concern...

I think Saudi despite its vestages of old is looking at the issue of modernity, and seeing the righting on the wall, which is "Change stops for noone"... they have to adapt to survive, and the fundamentalist culture they have adopted is imbalanced and will doom them all if they dont change their ways... keep their values, change how they do things and introduce tolerance into their ways... I think this is the start of change in Saudi... and in good time too... they will add longevity to their state, once its done in a integrated and multipronged fashion...

__________________
"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

and a change in admin has nothing to do with it????

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"If you're going through hell, keep going". Winston Churchill

If youre referring to the US Change in Administration, I would think it contributed but IMO, its a realisation by Suadi Administration that current inflexible course in Saudi is on a trajectory towards a disasterious future...... The engreigned culture has a very long process of change compared to other countries for even the smallest of movements away from hardcore wahhabism...

__________________
"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"