Maha Al-Shehri

Okaz newspaper

In last week’s Shoura Council sessions, many recommendations were dropped, such as protecting children from sexual harassment and the empowering of women and women’s rights. Although this was disappointing, it showed that there are members of the Shoura who are working hard and continuously to improve social conditions, which is similar to a spot of light shining in the darkness.

However, dropping Shoura Council recommendations that serve human goals without providing justifiable reasons for doing so underlines the importance of discussing and understanding recommendations that serve humanitarian, cultural and civil goals. Since the recommendations presented to the Council were made public and moreover studied and put to a vote, the least those who opposed them should do is discuss the reasons for their refusal.

Shoura members who are unwilling to justify their decisions represent a liability for the Council. It is time for the majority at the Shoura Council to start looking at society from a civil and cultural point of view, rather than relying on their own beliefs and opinions. Moreover, they should study the effects and benefits of recommendations, apart from their own personal interests, and reflect on their effect on society as a whole. Shoura members should be flexible and responsible and be able to see what is best for people in order to help bring about real change and future reform.