A group of writers, columnists and men of letters said that the second report of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), which contains criticism of some public agencies, is tangible evidence that the Kingdom has entered an era of transparency and reform under the leadership of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Strong will Abdullah Bin Ali Bin Sabeq, a member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, said, “The King's strong will, manifested in his instructions to remove any restrictions on transparency, encouraged the NSHR to compile a report which openly dealt with institutional shortcomings and deficiencies. This reflects well on King Abdullah's farsightedness and determination to cope with the fast tempo of changes sweeping the world, which is especially important as Islam encourages transparency and consultation which are the major principles of the Shoura.” Abdul Rahman Bin Muhammed Al-Lahem, noted Saudi lawyer, said that the NSHR report was written in very professional legal language which can only serve to deepen the concept of human rights in the conscience of society. “The report serves as a guideline for openness and transparency dedicated to the principles of human rights. It is now high time for us to admit that we are no longer living in an isolated world – a world of our own invention – and realize that as a result of modern telecommunications we are living in a global village which leaves us no choice but to interact with the rest of the world.” he said. It is now time, he said, to lighten the burden of the NSHR by setting up specialist supporting organizations, such as, societies to defend the rights of women and children. Another important function of the report, he said, is that it identifies local legislation which contradicts some of the international protocols and conventions signed by the Kingdom. “This reflects the importance of removing these discrepancies in our local legislation, particularly the ones referring to human rights,” he added. Important observation One of the shortcomings of the report, Al-Lahem pointed out, is that it did not refer to attempts by certain religious factions in the Kingdom to stop or prevent the organization of cultural activities. These groups even went so far as to issue edicts and make provocative statements against certain intellectuals in order to incite public opinion against them. “We believe that such an attitude affects the right of people to express their opinions which is why the concerned authorities should deal firmly with such encroachments on human rights,” Al-Lahem said. Freedom of opinion Muhammed Al-Mukhtar Al-Fal, Saudi writer and columnist said, “The report gives due attention to the issue of civic participation and public opinion and highlights the fact that nothing significant has occurred to widen the scope of civic participation since the municipal elections were held three years ago. Even the role of the national dialogue has shrunk as it now seems to focus on public services rather than the issues of freedom of expression and transparency with which it was concerned in its earlier sessions.” Al-Fal said that the increase in the ceiling of freedom may encourage the NSHR to tackle other issues, such as, new traffic laws, standard of living, administrative corruption, embezzlement of public funds, standards and deficiencies in health services, inequality of economic development in the Kingdom's regions, and definition of the powers of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. “No one can underestimate the importance of the NSHR report, but the Kingdom's great size and the complexity of the services that it offers to its people may distract the Society from the major task for which it has been created – the protection of human rights in its broadest context,” he said. Al-Fal pointed out that there are specialist organizations which have been established to deal with many developmental issues. “I tell my friends in the society if they open all the dossiers of administrative shortcomings in the country, I fear that they will find themselves bogged down by issues, such as, the problem of the transfer of women teachers, and forget about their responsibility to promote human rights. The nation needs the NSHR's human rights efforts in order to help the government make further progress in its plan for reform,” he said.
