Professor Madawi Al Rasheed

Luther fought against ecclesiastical abuse, indulgences and papal authority. He also advocated the doctrine of ‘justification by faith alone’. By nailing his ninety-five theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral, he changed the history of Europe forever.

After 9/11, politicians, research centres and think tanks in the West wished that a Saudi Luther would emerge to free Islam from so-called ‘radical interpretations’ and ‘preachers-of-hate’. Both the US and the Saudi regime hoped that the emergence of a Luther would deliver Saudis from the grip of radicalism and into the arms of tolerance.

Political activism in Saudi Arabia manifests itself in the form of petitions. These are sent to the King and other senior members of the royal family, and in the absence of independent and legal forums, these petitions attract media attention and are an important means by which the political atmosphere can be tested.

The country was struck by a wave of petitions during and after the Gulf War in the early 1990s. There followed the arrest of signatories – who at that time were mainly Islamists – and the imposition of great restrictions on freedom of speech. Then, in March 1992, the government introduced new cosmetic reforms – the Basic Law of Government, the Law of the Provinces, and the Law of the Consultative Council – which were presented as great steps towards change in the Kingdom.

The ‘shepherd’ whose guidance and leadership Saudi religious scholars in the past called upon the population to follow, is no more. It is not the case that nobody is fulfilling this role. Instead, a leadership which was once identifiable in the person of a single individual is now diffuse, having been divided between the five most powerful leaders: King Abdullah and his four most powerful brothers or their children.

This change was consolidated under the reign of King Fahd, but was sealed when Abdullah became king. With his primacy as head of state, but also with his control of the National Guard and the tribal population that constitutes the bulk of this paramilitary force, King Abdullah controls a formidable part of the Saudi power structure.

But existing alongside the power of the monarch are those grouped around Prince Nayef, the interior minister. Employing 500,000 people, they control the security and intelligence apparatus, and demand total loyalty from every official. As powerful – in part thanks to budget which is thought have topped $18bn in 2004 – are those led by Prince Sultan, the defence minister and Crown Prince.