Tariq A. Al-Maeena

 

Earlier this week it was reported that the office of the head of the Saudi religious police Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh was shot at following his announcement of the new charter and operating procedures for all members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia).  The dissident shooters were from within his organization and fortunately no one was injured.



These misfits who for so long have enjoyed exclusive privileges to terrorize the population through strong armed tactics, bullying and intimidation are slowly witnessing their wings getting clipped by a new set of rules of law which curb their authority to promote their extremism at the expense of the rest of the populace and define their role with regards to social service.



As Al-Asheikh explained it: “There are many members of the Haia who exploit their position, knowledge and power for personal gains and interests. Many have tried to talk me out of my decision to renew the charter and some have even stalked me. The Kingdom has gone through immeasurable changes during the past few decades. The Haia needs to follow suit and acknowledge that it is no longer the judicial body of the Kingdom like it used to be.”



Acknowledging the complaints of citizens and residents alike against the excesses of some Haia officials, Al-Asheikh added that “many members of society have previously spoken up against the Haia’s retrogressive and violent approach and we have taken that into account to ensure that our regulations serve justice to Saudis and non-Saudis alike.”



This is good news to many of us disturbed by the rise of extremism in some quarters based on faith and belief.  Over a month ago the country was jolted into the reality of sectarian conflict when an attack on Shia worshippers at a mosque left some ten people wounded or dead.  Sunni militants shot at worshippers undergoing rituals for Ashura, a revered day in the month of Muharram.



Seven people including two children were killed in the ensuing gunfire.  In a shootout with the suspected perpetrators of the crime, two security officers were also gunned down.  Some 15 individuals with suspected links to the shootings are presently in custody.  This also marked the first time that such a major militant attack against Shiites took place on Saudi shores.



Immediately following the incident, prominent figures went public with their condemnation of the event.  The chief government-appointed cleric said that it was against the teachings of Islam.  There were also similar calls from government officials as well as leading media personalities, one of whom described the attack as "the act of very evil people." This event also jolted many Saudis onto the reality of a growing brand of extremism fostered in their own country by some Saudis with extreme hardline views of who and what constitutes a Muslim.



Such divisions were also deepened by the vitriolic rhetoric of a few hardline preachers who continued to spew out messages of suspicion and hate during their sermons.



In their narrow perspective, these religious extremists have hardened their views against anyone or anything not in line with their way of thinking.  Such extremist views are also adopted by the so-called Islamic State and other terror groups in their bloody and relentless quest for power.



The government is sending out a loud message to those who adopt such manners of extremism that it will relentlessly pursue all those who seek to promote their brand of extremism and use violence as their tool. The revised charter by the Commission or the Haia is one step in the right direction.



Such public announcements calm the fears of most law-abiding citizens that the wave of extremism will not be tolerated and neither will the fanning of sectarian conflicts within the nation's borders.

 

— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena