Saudi Arabia is a monarchy with no political parties
or elected representatives. The current king is Fahd Bin Abd Al-Aziz
Al Saud, and he appointed his brother, Abdullah bin 'Abd al-'Aziz, Crown
Prince. In 1995 King Fahd suffered a stroke, and Crown Prince Abdullah
has since taken over power (U.S. Department of State [DOS], "Saudi Arabia,"
1999). While in control, the Crown Prince has been outspoken about
the economic problems of Saudi Arabia, as well as the corruption and
discrimination against women, which has sparked a debate among the citizens.
Though Abdullah has called for women to play a greater role, they still
suffer discrimination, are not allowed to drive, may not marry non-Muslims,
and cannot travel without written permission from a male relative (Human
Rights Watch [HRW], "Saudi Arabia," 1999).
There is no separation between church and state;
consequently there is no religious freedom (HRW, "Introduction," 1999).
The Koran is the official holy book, and the Constitution is the Sunna
of Muhammad. Legislation reflects ultra-conservative Islam.
Opposition is suppressed, and the establishment of political parties
is prohibited (DOS, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). Security is carried
out by the Mutawaa'in (other spellings include Mutawwa'in and Mutawa'een),
the religious police, who monitor public behavior.
Both the Mutawaa'in and the military forces violate human
rights through arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention, and torture,
particularly with foreigners. Freedom of speech and the press are
restricted, and as previously noted, women suffer discrimination and there
is no freedom of religion. Domestic workers also suffer abuses.
Torture is commonly used in Saudi Arabia, particularly
in detainment to extract confessions, and methods include beatings with a
stick, electric shocks, cigarette burns, nail extraction, and physical assault.
One case involved a Canadian nurse, Margaret Madil, who was detained
by the Mutawaa'in along with a colleague for drinking orange juice in public.
The two women were kept in a van in 100 degree heat for four hours,
and were then beaten and detained for several weeks until they signed a document
which was written in Arabic (Amnesty International [AI], "Saudi Arabia Women,"
1999).
Punishments are issued in regards to the governmental
interpretation of the Shari'a (Islamic law), and include flogging, amputation,
and execution by beheading, stoning, and firing squad. In 1999 there
were 100 executions acknowledged, 53 of which were performed on foreigners
(DOS, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). By mid-summer of 2000, 70 executions had
been reported, 2/3 of which involved foreigners (AI, "Saudi Arabia Executions,"
2000). Generally, men are publicly executed by beheading on Fridays
after prayers, and women are privately killed by firing squad, though in
1999 two Nigerian women, Hawa Faruk and Aisha Saada Kassem, were publicly
beheaded (HRW, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). Death sentences may be imposed
for murder, rape, drug trafficking, and armed robbery.
Floggings may be issued for alcohol-related offenses,
breaking the strict moral codes, and theft. In August 1999, two Fillippino
women were sentenced to 700 lashes each for performing illegal abortions
(HRW, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). Sentences may range from 50 lashes to
several thousand, with the highest recorded punishment at 4,000 lashes in
1990 (AI, "Torture Culture," 2000). Amputations, another form of
punishment, have become more common in 2000. In 1999, there were two
amputations reported. By mid-summer of 2000, 33 amputations had been
recorded, including 7 "cross-amputations" of the right hand and left foot
(AI, "Saudi Arabia Executions," 2000).
All non-Muslim religious practices, as well as Muslim practices deemed heterodox by government-appointed Islamic scholars, were banned, and violators are subject to prosecution (HRW, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). Apostasy, the conversion from Muslim to another religion, is punishable by death (DOS, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). The majority of the population are Sunni Muslims, while most of the remaining minority are Shi'a Muslims. The Shi'a population suffers from discrimination; such discriminations include unequal health care and job opportunities, and Shi'as are rarely permitted to build private mosques or community centers. In the past, Shi'a Muslims were prohibited from holding public religious processions, but are now able to, permitting that no banners or emblems are displayed (HRW, "Saudi Arabia," 1999).
Kasab al-Rashid al-Utaibi, a Saudi who fled the country
in 1994, described his story: "If you try to persuade people that the regime
is corrupt, you're sent to prison. I was an imam [preacher], and you
have to speak out about politics and tell people about social issues. I've
been to prison nine times or so. In every mosque, there were spies
praying with us" (Colors, "Mecca," 1998).
The government owns all domestic radio and television
stations, and while print media is privately-owned, newspapers receive public
subsidies and the government monitors them for criticism of Islam, the ruling
family, or the government (HRW, "Saudi Arabia," 1999). Official government
views are expressed through the government-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA)
, and newspapers generally will not publish news on sensitive subjects (crime
and terrorism) until the SPA has or if approval is gained from a senior
governmental official. Authorities filter foreign news, by blackening
articles, gluing pages together, or completely preventing publications from
entering the market (DOS, "Saudi Arabia," 1999).
The majority of domestic workers are women, who are generally
locked up in their employers' homes and forced to work excessive hours with
little or no time off. Because of their isolation, these women are
commonly beaten with aqals (the head ropes worn by men) or sexually abused,
with the only witnesses being the family of the employer (AI, "Saudi Arabia
Women," 1999).
In 1993, an Indonesian girl, Nasiroh, went to Saudi Arabia
in 1993 asa domestic worker where she was sexually abused by her employer.
She was later falsely accused of his murder and then placed in
incommunicado detention for two years, where she was tortured and sexually
abused by the police. After five years of imprisonment, she is still
unaware of why she was sentenced (AI, "Saudi Arabia Women," 1999).
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