[list_indonesia] [ppiindia] Women Driving Possible Gradually: Naseef
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- Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 15:03:31 +0100
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http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=60699&d=20&m=3&y=2005
Sunday, 20, March, 2005 (09, Safar, 1426)
Women Driving Possible Gradually: Naseef
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
JEDDAH, 20 March 2005 - Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, former deputy chairman
of the Shoura Council and former secretary-general of Muslim World League, has
said that women driving is not un-Islamic and could be introduced in the
Kingdom gradually, beginning with cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh.
In an interview with Arab News, Naseef also said that Saudi Arabia's
reform programs were going well and he described the municipal elections as a
good beginning. "Next time, there will be elections to regional councils and
the Shoura Council. We don't know when but they will come," he said.
Referring to the newly amended Naturalization Law that allows expatriates
who have been living in the Kingdom for more than 10 years to apply for Saudi
citizenship, Dr. Naseef said priority would be given to those who have been
here for decades and whose families are divided as well as to professionals
required by the country.
Dr. Naseef, who is also vice chairman of the King Abdul Aziz National
Dialogue Center, emphasized the important place of women in Islam. "Women
enjoyed equal participation in every field in the early days of Islam. Later
people drifted away from Islamic teachings and denied women their basic rights
but that should not be blamed on Islam," he said.
"Depriving women of their rights should not be allowed. At the same time,
women should be aware of religious teachings and should not behave in an
un-Islamic way. Some things are indeed un-Islamic and create problems. These
problems are present in the West which did not realize their danger until it
was too late. We don't want the same thing to happen here," he added.
Dr. Naseef continued, "The participation of women in elections, their
membership of the Shoura and other things such as driving will come gradually.
People are afraid that if they allow women to drive, it will create confusion
but a gradual introduction is possible in order to avoid problems. It may not
be a problem in Jeddah or even in Riyadh. In other areas, it may cause
unnecessary confusion and dissatisfaction."
"There is nothing in Islam that prevents women from driving," he added.
Dr. Naseef downplayed the poor turnout of voters in the nationwide
municipal elections. "In the course of time, more people will register and take
part in voting. People usually are reluctant and busy with their own affairs.
The next elections will be better in every sense," he said.
About the national dialogue initiated by Crown Prince Abdullah two years
ago, he said it was aimed at promoting a culture of dialogue, respecting the
views and ideas of other people. Asked about the recommendations passed by the
forums, he said implementation would take time. "People want their
recommendations to be implemented immediately. It's not practical. Some have
already been implemented, but some may take years," he pointed out.
He said the next dialogue would be entitled, "We and Others," adding that
it would be convened in six months.
"We are not living in an isolated world and the next dialogue will focus
on what our behavior and reaction should be to others, including non-Muslims. A
number of seminars and conferences will be held as part of the dialogue," he
added.
Dr. Naseef, who was Shoura Council vice chairman for eight years, refused
to call the 120-member Shoura a consultative body. "It's a parliament in the
sense that it drafts and approves laws, treaties and other things. The only
difference is that its members are not elected and there are no parties. Saudi
Arabia does not believe in parties because they create division rather than
unity," he explained.
He said the group's discussions, the way laws are passed and the voting
system are similar to those of any parliament in the world.
"There was no government intervention in our work. The government
endorses all the laws that are passed by the Shoura. There are certain cases in
which the Shoura rejected a law passed by the government and the government
looked at that opinion and revised the law," he said.
He said even if elections are held to the Shoura, measures could be taken
to ensure its smooth performance without violating the Shariah. "Elections are
required to satisfy others so we should go for elections - full or 50 percent
or whatever the percentage," he said.
Naseef underscored the continuous development of the Shoura in
introducing positive changes. "This is a healthy sign. For example, when the
Shoura was formed 10 years ago, Shoura members had to seek the permission of
the king to introduce or change a law. Now they don't need that approval. You
can pass any law and present it to the government," he pointed out.
Banning Islamic charity organizations for the wrongdoings of certain
individuals was unfair, he said and urged Islamic charities to stand together
to overcome their present crisis.
At the same, he urged charitable organizations to clear their records and
introduce transparency and accountability. "This will strengthen the
credibility of our organizations and remove suspicions," he added.
Speaking about the Saudization program, he said the Kingdom would require
foreign labor to implement its five-year development programs.
Total Saudization will not be possible for the next 20 to 30 years. The
ongoing drive to nationalize jobs will not affect skilled expatriate workers,
he added.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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