By Ashley Young-
Saudia Arabia’s killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, is a reflection of the country’s draconian practices. Saudia Arabia is a kingdom run by the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. His kingdom is a not a democracy like the United Kingdom which has a constitutional monarchy and democracy. The Saudi Kingdom is much different.
It is more a dictatorship than anything democratic. Its citizens are expected to hold the monarchy in absolute reverence, freedom of expression is the stuff of fantasy in this land blessed with natural oil. Speaking against the kingdom is more or less blasphemous, the powerful ruling elites are ruthless when it comes to punishing what they perceive to be misconduct. Equally, rewards for loyalty towards the Saudi Kingdom can be incredibly mind blowing. Individuals who act on behalf of the Saudi authorities can be significantly remunerated.
DISHONOUR
Khashoggi would have been considered as one who dishonoured the kingdom. The manner of his death was callously gruesome. He was entrapped by the disingenuous call to receive paper permission to marry his Turkish fiancee. It is now clear that Khashoggi was deceived, entrapped, and killed. It should not be surprising when we consider the fact that it was only a few months ago that the kingdom’s reversed a long practice banning women from driving. Prince Salman reversed the ban in a liberalizing move of change.
That change involving women’s rights is only a micro change. Saudia Arabia still runs a guardianship system, which Human Rights Watch has called “the most significant impediment to realizing women’s rights in the country”. All women in the kingdom are considered to have a male “wali” – an official guardian, typically a father, brother, uncle or husband, who must permit consent for women to travel, obtain a passport, get married or divorce, and even sign contracts.
The system makes it “nearly impossible” for victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse to obtain legal redress because the police often insist Women and girls are required to obtain their guardian’s authority to to file a complaint. King Salman has relaxed some of the bullish laws against women. Women do not need permission from their male guardian for some activities, including entering university, taking a job and undergoing surgery.
Men and women are not allowed to mix in public places like restaurants unless they are married, a single man dare not be seen mixing closely with a woman on his own.