The media circus launched in the honor of Shiekh Sa’ad al-Shethri and his rather lame comment was full of noise, but one of the rare voices of reason in the midst of the hoopla was that of Khaled al-Dakhil. In his column for Abu Dhabi-based al-Ittihad daily, translated here by the good folks at Meedan, he puts the event in perspective and offers some interesting, intelligent views:
This society has allowed strict religious discourse to shape people’s views and attitudes on issues such as these for decades, even centuries. The consequences of this must finally be faced. It is true also that there is misunderstanding over the issue of gender mixing, and that some people go too far in their complete and utter rejection of it, but once again the way of handling such an issue has played a role in that. This has caused the underlying principles of this confrontation to exist for a long time, and there was no way of avoiding it. It can be said that no-one wanted the row which erupted. The row was inevitably going to impose itself on everyone. It was waiting for the right moment and its justification, and that moment came, and that justification emerged with the opening of the University. The battle in reality was between the religious trend, which emerged due to the influence it had, and the reformist trend, which wanted to review many issues, starting with those which were necessary for the advancement of society.
Al-Dakhil is one of the few true liberal thinkers in this country. That’s why he is unwelcome in Saudi universities and media, which is a real shame, because it’s people like him that our country really needs. Oh, well…
7 Comments
Our nation does indeed need those who truly identify the critical issues.
The conflict in many areas is indeed between those who support the governmental rule of the clerical establishment, and those who do not.
Thanks for recommending Khaled al-Dakhil’s article to the Meedan translations group. We’re lucky to have had the chance to read his views.
If any other articles bubble up that you want translating, let us know.
Not to be a downer or anything but he becomes wise by being the only person not to have a shred of common sense in print?
Kinda seems like he wins by default actually rather than through genuine quality.
correction: remove the word “not” from the second line of my comment.
It is not only the impact of religion ,we are having in our country but also a strict form of tribal influence on people lives . My wife has no problem uncovering her face religiously if she will get a way with it among her brothers and friends .Sad fact but true .
The fact that he is a lone voice is such a pity.
Common sense is a very valuable trait . The more valuable because so very rare!
It’s not just KSA who needs guys like him….
Enlightened thinking everywhere is under attack by barbarism!
Education is the key.