RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL AUTHORITY IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Yıl 2017, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 2, 241 - 257, 01.04.2017

Jon Mahoney Kamel Alboaouh

Öz

Alfred Stepan’s “twin-tolerations” thesis (2000) is a model for explaining different ways that religious and political authority come to be reconciled. In this paper, we investigate some obstacles and challenges to realizing a reconciliation between religious and political authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that might result in a transition away from a theocratic monarchy to a more consultative form of political authority. Whereas most analyses of religion and politics in KSA focus on geopolitics, the rentier state model, or economic and military aid from the United States, we also consider local factors that emphasize the agency of political and non-political actors within KSA, focusing on examples such as education policy and how this is a barrier to political reform. Our position is not meant to replace the standard models, but rather to supplement them by offering a multi-variable perspective on the challenges and prospects for meaningful political reform in KSA

Anahtar Kelimeler

Twin-Tolerations, Education Reform, Rentier State Politics, Economic Reform

Religious and Political Authority in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Prospects

Öz

Kaynakça

• Al-Arabia.Net, June 16, 2015, "Saudia: Growth of oil reserve to 266.58 billion barrels," (translated by Kamel Alboaouh): http://goo.gl/CyGyNw.
• Allam, Abeer 26 April 2011, "Saudi education reforms face stern resistance," Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/07607fb0-6f5d-11e0-952c-00144feabdc0.
• Al-Qurtubi, Imam, 2003, The Compendium of Qur' anic Decrees, (translated by Aisha Bewley), Dar Al Taqwa Ltd.
• Alsarhan, S, "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Questionaire," Arab Barometer, 2011.
• An-Nai’im, Adullahi Amed, 2009, Islam and the Secular State. Harvard.
• Armanios, Febe, Oct.29, 2003, "Islamic Religious Schools, Madrasas: Background," Congress Research Services.
• Bayat, Asef, 2013, Life as Politics: How Ordinary People Change the Middle East. Stanford.
• Beshara, Azmi, 2014, Religion and Secularism in a Historical Context Vol. 2, Arab Center for Research and Political Studies.
• Blanchard, Christopher, Nov. 16, 2009, "Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations," Congressional Research Service.
• Bligh, Alexander 1984, From Prince to King: Royal Succession in the House of Saud in the Twentieth Century, New York University Press, 1984.
• Dahl, Robert, 1971, Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition,” Yale University Press.
• Davidson, Christopher, 2013, After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies. Hurst.
• Deutsche Welle, June 24, 2015, "France made arms transaction with Saudi Arabia in billions of dollars," (translated by Kamel Alboaouh): http://dw.com/p/1FmoY.
• DohaInstitute.Org, 2014, "Arab Indicator 2014," Arab Center For Research & Policy.
• el-Tablawy, Tarek, Feb. 23, 2011, "Saudi king boosts economic benefits to citizens," The Washington Times: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/23/saudi-king-boosts-economic-benefits- citizens/.
• Esposito, John, Mogahed, Dalia, 2008. Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think? Gallup.
• Finke, Robert and R. R. Martin, Dec. 2014, "Ensuring Liberties: Understanding State Restrictions on Religious Freedoms," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. Vol 53, no. issue 4: 687-705.
• Forst, Rainer, 2012, "Toleration," The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/toleration/.
• FRANCE24, Sept 14, 2010, "Arms transactions to Saudi Arabia with 60 billion dollars," (translated by Kamel Alboaouh): saudi-counter-iran%20.
• General Authority For Statistics In Saudi Arabia, 2016: http://www.stats.gov.sa/en.
• Goetz, Adam, 2003, Demographics: The Downfall of Saudi Arabia, Master Thesis, Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California.
• Grim, Brian, Fine, Roger, 2010, The Price of Freedom Denied. Cambridge.
• Huntington, Samuel, 1993, “The Clash of Civilizations,” Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/1993-06-01/clash-civilizations.
• Kechichian, J.A., 2001, Succession In Saudi Arabia, Palgrave Macmillan.
• Kuru, Ahmet, 2009, Secularism and State Policies Towards Religion: The United States,France, and Turkey. Cambridge.
• Lahn, Glada and Stevens, Paul, 2011, Burning Oil to Keep Cool: The Hidden Energy Crisis in Saudi Arabia, Chatham House.
• McEvers, Kelly, Sept 9, 2009, "Changing the Way Saudis Learn," Slate Magazine Online: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/dispatches/features/2009/changing_the_way_ saudis_learn/reforming_saudi_education.html.
• Mustafa, Dena, Dec. 28, 2014 ”Citizens to Finance Minister: Not Salaries but Corruption," (translated by Kamel Alboaouh): http://www.ajel.sa/local/1387061
• Official Website of The Council of Senior Scholars: www.ssa-at.gov.sa.
• Prados, Alfred, Feb. 24, 2006, "Saudi Arabia: Current Issues and US Relations," Congressional Research Services: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/IB93113.pdf.
• Prokop, Michaela, Jan. 2003, "Saudi Arabia: The politics of education," Royal Institute of International Affairs, vol. Volume 79, no. Issue 1: 77–89.
• Qutb, Sayyid, 1964/2006, Milestones. Islamic Book Service.
• Ramadan, Tariq, 2008, Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation. Oxford.
• Ramady, Mohamed, 2014, Political, Economic and Financial Country Risk, Springer.
• Rawls, John, 2000, Lectures on the History of Political Philosophy. Harvard.
• Ross, Michael, 2012, The Oil Curse: How Petroleum Wealth Shapes the Development of Nations. Princeton.
• Shea, Nina, Al-Ahmed, Ali, 2006, "Saudi Arabia's Curriculum of Intolerance: With Excerpts from Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies," Freedom House Center for Religious Freedom: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED500608.
• Simmons, Mathew, 2006, Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, Wiley.
• Stepan, A. J., Linz, J. and Minoves J, 2014, "Democratic Parliamentary Monarchies," Journal of Democracy, Vol. 25, No. 2: 35-51.
• Stepan, Alfred, 2000, "Religion, Democracy, and the Twin Tolerations," Journal of Democracy, Vol. 11, No. 4: 37-57.
• Tago, A. H., "KSA water consumption rate twice the world average," Arab News, 28 Feb 2014: http://www.arabnews.com/news/532571.
• The Shura Council: https://www.shura.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/ShuraEn/internet/Laws+and+Regulations/The+Ba sic+Law+Of+Government/. United States Central Intelligence Agency:
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world
• factbook/geos/sa.html.
• Vitalis, Robert, 2009, America's Kingdom: Mythmaking on the Saudi Oil Frontier. Verso.
• Walzer, Michael, 2015, The Paradox of Liberation. Yale.
• Wehrey, Frederic, 2015 "Saudi Arabia’s Anxious Autocrats," Journal of Democracy, vol. 26, no. 2: 71-85.
• Wenar, Leif, 2015, Blood Oil: Tyrants, Violence, and the Rules that Run the World. Oxford.
• Zuhur, Sherifa, 2005, "Saudi Arabia: Islamic Threat, Political Reform, and the Global War on Terror," Strategic Studies Institute: http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=598.
• 9 -11 Commission Report: https://9-11commission.gov/report/.